Dead to Rights
by Malanna
Summary: Takes place immediately following the short story in W&M - spoilers for books 1-8. LA has a new King, things with Eric are as yet unresolved, and new dangers lurk around the corner for Sookie. She's always been lucky, but is her luck about to run out?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is my first fanfic, I am usually an original story author. However, I am so inspired by Ms. Harris' works, I couldn't resist. All reviews are appreciated.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or stories from The Southern Vampire series. I can only hope that Ms. Harris does not mind me taking them out to play with.

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"Sookie... Sookie, wake up."

I vaguely heard the voice of Amelia, my roommate, and swatted at her hand as she gently shook my shoulder. I was in the middle of one of those waking dreams, and this was a particularly pleasant one I was determined not to be shaken from prematurely. My Great Grandfather Niall and I were fishing, warm sunlight pouring onto the little canoe we occupied on the lake. I laughed heartily as he got a bite and looked, perplexed, at the bobber in the water. He was a 1000 plus year old fairy prince, after all, and had indulged another of my childhood dreams by taking me on this fishing trip. I climbed over to his side of the canoe to help him pull the line from the water, but as I did I rocked the boat a bit too much and into the water we both went. We were laughing and splashing in the water, but then he suddenly grabbed my shoulder and started shaking me...

"Sookie! WAKE UP!" came Amelia's voice from Niall's throat. I blinked, finally being startled back into reality.

I shot up in bed and glared at Amelia, snapping, "What??"

Amelia puffed out her cheeks with an exasperated exhale, catching my glare with an annoyed one of her own. I felt a twinge of guilt, knowing Amelia wouldn't enter my room, much less wake me up, without good cause. "I'm sorry, what's wrong?" I asked.

Her expression became a bit more anxious, "Sookie... the King is here."

I stared at her blankly, still a bit groggy with sleep. Then I caught the flash from her mind of the King of Nevada (and now Louisiana and Arkansas) standing in our doorway. My eyes went wide and Amelia simply nodded in agreement. With a start I jumped out of bed and ran into the bathroom, attempting to quickly tidy my hair. I was still dressed, albeit in just a t-shirt and sweats, having meant to simply curl up with a book when I'd gotten off the lunch shift at Merlotte's earlier that day. I must have fallen asleep, for sure enough it was dark out. Well duh, Sookie, a vampire wouldn't be at your door if the sun were still up! Why on Earth _is_ a vampire at my door? Well, vampires appearing at my house is hardly new, but this particular vampire was certainly out of the norm. I was not at all used to entertaining the undead equivalent of royalty.

As I smoothed my ponytail and applied a bit of lip gloss I was suddenly overcome with a wave of fear, and sat down on the edge of the tub to attempt to collect myself. Felipe de Castro had taken over Louisiana by force just a few weeks ago. In his wake was a string of dead vampires, including the once Queen, Sophie Anne, and several of the area sheriffs. He had been ruthless, sending his henchman Victor on an almost blitzkrieg style raid on the state that had culminated in a final showdown with Eric in my living room. Eric had capitulated (my latest word of the day from my calendar) mostly because he had no choice if he wanted all of us to survive.

"Oh Sookie, dear?" I heard Amelia call in a saccharine sweet tone that only thinly veiled her growing agitation. I jumped, realizing I'd been sitting here mulling for far too long, and gave myself one last superficial glance in the mirror. I was hardly dressed appropriately to receive a King, but I figured it was his fault for showing up unannounced. Taking a deep breath to steel my nerves I headed toward the kitchen.

The moment I entered, Felipe, who had been seated and drinking a True Blood Amelia must have warmed for him, rose to greet me. In one graceful stride he was standing before me, taking my hand and lifting it to his lips, "Miss Stackhouse," he said with a flourish in his thick Spanish accent. Felipe de Castro was certainly a handsome King, even if he was sorely out of date with his fashion sense. He reminded me a bit of Jimmy Smits, whom I'd always found attractive, with his golden skin and flowing black hair. He was dressed in a kind of billowy, white poet shirt and black leather pants, which were tucked into boots that reminded me of a pirate. Perched around his shoulders was the cape I remembered from the night I had saved him and Eric from a crazed Siegbert. Siegbert was thought to have been killed along with Sophie Anne, having been her child and body guard. I wondered to myself if de Castro had discovered how his survival could have been overlooked by Victor, and I shuddered when I remembered plowing the ancient vampire over with my car.

I attempted to smile and curtsy to Felipe, though I must have looked quite awkward in my movements. "Hello your... highness," I stammered. Hey, I'm American after all, we don't have royalty to bow to or address in such formalities. If Felipe was amused he didn't show it, but politely stood aside, gesturing for me to join him at the kitchen table. I pondered where Victor might be, and stretched out for a moment with my mind to feel around. I noticed not one, but two blank 'voids' outside, along with a human. I can't read vampire minds, but I can notice the presence, or lack there of, of their brainwaves. I figured one of the vamps outside must be Victor, but had no clue as to the identity of the other. A quick scan of the human mind revealed him to be Felipe's driver, and if I was in any imminent danger, his mind didn't reveal it.

Amelia quickly excused herself with a polite nod to Felipe and headed up to her room. As she left the kitchen she thought at me that she was going to call Pam. I gave her a quick nod of approval then turned my attention back to the King as I sat down opposite from him at the table. I tried not to fidget or show my anxiety as I waited for him to explain himself.

"Miss Stackhouse, I would like to thank you once again for your assistance with that... unpleasant incident a few weeks ago," he began. Unpleasant incident? I recalled how Siegbert had been caught with his pants down, quite literally, when I'd run him down in my car. I shuddered to think what he was about to do before I intervened. I had risked my life to save a vampire who had just killed some I considered, at the least, good acquaintances in the name of territorial takeover. But I hadn't done it for Felipe, I had done it for Eric. When I felt the waves of anger and fear flooding through the blood bond, I'd had no choice but to turn around. I wasn't sure if Eric was finally able to make me heel, as he had so disgustingly put it to Andre, or if it was my own fear for his safety. "It wasn't like I had much of a choice," I replied a bit more sharply than I had intended to. Where did that sudden wave of anger come from?

Felipe arched a brow curiously at me, "You are not pleased at being bound to the viking?" he inquired.

I thought quickly, wondering how to respond to that, for I really didn't know myself. "I just seem to often find myself in mortal danger, usually against my will, in the name of helping your kind," I stated.

He nodded, though I didn't see much concern in his demeanor. Of course not, why would he care about a mere human girl being harmed in service to his far superior race? I tried not to roll my eyes. He seemed to wave the issue aside and continued with his far more important matters. "Miss Stackhouse, I am hosting a grand ball on New Year's Eve, to celebrate a new era for my kingdom and rebirth for Louisiana," he stated with a level of ego and pride that could only come from a vampire. I nearly wretched, my fake smile instantly plastering onto my face, the one I use to hide my real emotions. I thought of rescinding his invitation into my home right then and there, sickened at this King who expected the vampires of Louisiana to be overjoyed at his new rein, like he was the second coming or something.

Then I suddenly wondered why de Castro was telling me this. Oh great, he wants me to come spy on any human guests, probably to discover how Siegbert had lived or if anyone was planning a counter-coup. I was already trying to think of ways to avoid being forced into servitude when he continued. "To show my appreciation, once again, for your act of heroism, you shall accompany me to the ball as my special guest."

_Say what?_ I thought as I blinked back at him in confusion. He quirked a brow again, as if he was shocked I hadn't fallen on my knees thanking this vampire King. "You shall be my... how do you put it... my date, Miss Stackhouse." Yep, that's what I thought he was saying. He went on, "Don't worry, I've already informed your bonded, you need not seek his permission." At that I nearly choked, sputtering into a coughing fit. Felipe looked uncomfortable for a moment, not knowing how to react to such a 'human' response. I quickly got up from the table and went over to the sink, getting myself a glass of water, thankful for the few moments of him not being able to see my face. As I gulped down the water, trying to calm my breathing and my mind, I grasped for any method of getting out of this I could find.

"You are understandably overwhelmed, dear girl, by such an honor," his voice came directly behind me, startling me. I whirled around and was confronted with the King just inches from my face. He looked down at me with a rather distasteful leer and I felt my stomach churn. His ego made Eric look like he had esteem issues, and that was no small thing. _Eric... where are you... and how could you have agreed to this??_ I thought. Of course I quickly realized he would have no choice in the matter. To defy the King at such a tenuous time would have been suicide, and that would hardly be helpful to my current predicament. If Eric couldn't refuse Felipe, then how could I? It was clear that I was only about a step up from a cow in the King's eyes, and because I was Eric's 'bonded', any slight against him on my part would certainly be held against Eric as well. I was trapped. Again.

I took a deep breath, shoring up what little of my frayed nerves were left, and plastered the smile back on my face. "Of course, your highness," I said in an overly sweet tone, "It would by my honor to accompany you to the ball." I swallowed down the bile now rising in my throat, and Felipe gave me a sort of smile of satisfaction, as though he had expected nothing less.

"You have pleased me, Miss Stackhouse," he lilted in his heavy accent, as if this should cause me to go weak in the knees from joy. "I shall have a car sent round for you at 8pm on the eve of the ball." He then looked about my kitchen for a moment, as if he were just now taking in his surroundings, and gave a bit of a click of disapproval with his tongue, "And I shall have appropriate attire sent over." It took every ounce of Southern charm gran had instilled in me not to slap him across the face. He was clearly inferring that he did not think I could afford, nor had the slightest notion of what appropriate attire for such an occasion would be. He was calling me poor. He was calling me... uncivilized. I couldn't speak for fear of giving into my urge to just spit in his face, and I smiled even harder at him. He probably thought me awestruck.

"I'll see you on the 31st, Miss Stackhouse," he said in farewell, bringing the back of my hand to his lips once more. As he kissed my hand I felt a tiny graze of... fang. The moment he was out the door I ran to the bathroom, no longer able to keep my lunch from earlier down. In between heaves I choked out, "Felipe de Castro, your invitation is rescinded."

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks to all of you for the kind reviews/alerts/etc., they certainly do inspire me to keep going! I'm already working on the next chapter, but wanted to get something up for you.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or stories from The Southern Vampire series. I can only hope that Ms. Harris does not mind me taking them out to play with.

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There was a soft knock at the bathroom door. I was sitting on the floor, my back against the side of the tub, waiting to make sure no more of my lunch was going to come up. "Come in," I said weakly.

Amelia slowly opened the door, peering her head around to gauge the situation before opening it the rest of the way. I looked up, probably still a bit green, and saw Pam's head poke out above Amelia's, her eyes bright with a mixture of amusement and curiosity. I could almost see the excitement running through her mind as she probably took inventory of appropriate, Dear Abby responses to such a situation.

"Oh, Sookie..." Amelia uttered empathetically as she sat down beside me on the floor and began to gently rub my lower back. Pam studied Amelia's behavior for a moment and moved as if to sit on the floor in front of me, but seemed to reconsider after looking at the old, worn tile, opting instead to lean against the edge of the vanity. I was too upset to care that Pam was probably more concerned with her blue pastel twin set getting dirty than she was with my well being. One more tick mark in the 'vampire offenses against Sookie Stackhouse' column in my mental tally.

"Hey, it's not so bad, Sook... just think, you'll get to wear a gorgeous dress and dance the night away in some fancy ballroom!" Amelia offered in a feeble attempt to lift my spirits. What she was really thinking was that she hoped Felipe didn't bundle me off to Vegas just when we were becoming such good friends. Her strongly broadcast thoughts were enough to send me over the edge, and I promptly burst into tears.

My helpful nature had gotten me into hot water yet again. I should have just let the rats drain Bill that fateful night at Merlotte's that seemed like eons ago. If I had, none of my subsequent beatings, stakings, shootings, or other abuses would have ever happened. I'd still be living my comfortably ignorant life in Bon Temps, waiting tables, trying to stay out of peoples' minds... gran would still be alive. I never would have met Sophie Anne, or Siegbert, or Andre, or Victor, or Felipe, or any of the other numerous supes who only wanted to use me, at best, or kill me, at worst. I'd still just be crazy Sookie and right this moment that didn't seem like such a bad thing.

"She's leaking again," Pam remarked to Amelia with some annoyance.

My head snapped up as I caught Pam with a death look that probably could rival a vampire's, but she simply quirked at me and plucked a tissue from the counter, thrusting it at me. I snatched it from her grasp and hissed, "Why are you even here??" having momentarily forgotten Amelia had called her.

Pam's eyes narrowed a bit, "I'm sworn to protect you, remember?" It was true, Pam and Eric had been officially duty bound by the King to protect me with their lives, if necessary. In that moment it was clear how Pam felt about that, and I suddenly felt a twinge of guilt, realizing she too was being forced into situations she did not relish. Then I remembered I had risked my life to save theirs not too long ago in Rhodes, and no one had to force me into it, and my rage flashed all over again.

"Well, as you can see, I'm not in any mortal danger, so feel free to leave any time!" I snapped back at her.

I felt Amelia's arm tense at my back and quickly regretted my outburst, hearing a low and terrifying growl coming from Pam as she squatted down in front of me. Her eyes were cold as they locked onto mine, and I wondered if she was about to tear my throat out.

"Now you listen to me, Sookie Stackhouse," she said with a voice like ice. I'd seen what Pam was capable of many times in the past, but had never been the direct recipient of her wrath. I felt myself shrinking in terror and Amelia right along with me. I tried to swallow down my fear, remaining silent as she held me with her eyes, thinking this was probably the closest thing I'd ever felt to being glamoured.

Once she was convinced she had my undivided attention, Pam continued, "I usually find your naiveté to be... _cute_." She said cute in the way one thinks of a puppy chasing its tail. "However, it is beginning to grow tiresome. You have experienced enough of our world now to realize that your paltry human dramas have no place there. I'm surprised they haven't gotten you killed yet." In that moment I could believe Pam was almost sorry for that fact.

I had expected the lecture to continue, but vampires never were ones for long, drawn out scoldings. Gran would have had me here for at least an hour, telling me how selfish I was being and to stop with the pity party. Pam had said a lot with her few, terrifying statements, if I took the time to read between the lines. Just now, though, the buzzing of fear and tension in the atmosphere prevented me from pondering further on her words.

Pam turned slightly on the balls of her feet, kissing Amelia on the cheek, and was heading out the bathroom door in a swoosh of vampiric grace. I stared after her, still shaken, as she paused in the doorway, remembering something. Pam turned back to me with the same cold stare, reaching into her pocket and tossing something at me which I fumbled to grab. "From Eric," she said flatly, and was gone, Amelia and I collectively exhaling a relieved breath.

After a few minutes of silence in which Amelia and I gathered our wits up off the ground, she turned to me and remarked, "That Pam... such a joker..." with a decidedly nervous laugh. I just stared back.

She nudged my shoulder, looking down at my lap, "Well? You gonna open it or what?"

"Huh?" I asked confusedly, then realized she was referring to whatever Pam had tossed me, "Oh... right."

I stared down at the item in my hands. It was a small, black velvet box. I looked back up at Amelia, seeing an all too eager look in her eyes for me to open it. Gazing back down with a heavy sigh, I cracked the box open to reveal a small, folded note, covering the contents.

_Sookie,_

_Wear this on New Year's Eve to remind Felipe to whom you belong._

_~ E_

I felt the rage returning to the pit of my stomach, apprehensively looking at the gift. It was a simple gold necklace with a small charm at the end; an overly ornate 'E' that had a tear (blood) drop shaped ruby dangling from the bottom. I felt my free hand clench into a fist, my face turning as red as the ruby, and I flung the box across the room. Amelia flinched as it crashed into the wall with a loud thwack.

"Oh boy..." she muttered. _Oh yeah_, I thought.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Once again, thanks to those of you who have left such nice words of encouragement. I was nervous as heck when I started writing this that I wouldn't do Ms. Harris' amazing world and characters justice. It's great to hear I'm getting it at least somewhat right! Please don't hesitate to keep offering me any advice, constructive criticism, or comments. Don't worry, more updates on the way soon!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or stories from The Southern Vampire series. I can only hope that Ms. Harris does not mind me taking them out to play with.

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I woke the next morning determined not to continue my fit of angst from the night before. Amelia had stayed up late with me, letting me rage and cry and stew in a manner gran would have found most unbecoming. Was Pam right? She had inferred I was acting like a child... and maybe I had been, but part of me still felt I had the right. I shook myself a bit as I headed for the shower. _No, Sookie_, I thought to myself, _you're going to have a good day today... a strong day... and you're going to avoid vampires until New Year's_. I nodded an affirmation to myself in the mirror as I passed by and stepped under the warm water. The ball was tomorrow evening, and I figured I could manage to avoid the undead until then, even if a nagging voice in the back of my mind was laughing bitterly at that notion.

I quickly shaved and washed up, pausing toward the end of my shower to let the warm water run over my head, perhaps in a metaphorical cleansing of my mind. My thoughts wandered to the errands I needed to run today before working the night shift at Merlotte's, wondering if I had time to make an appointment for a mani/pedi before the ball. I hope I at least like the dress Felipe sends... I hope it isn't too revealing... I wonder if I'll have the right jewelry to go with it?

Jewelry...

I sighed then, remembering the necklace. What was Eric thinking?? He couldn't possibly have thought I'd like such a gift, whose sole purpose seemed to be declaring me as property. Eric knew me better than that... didn't he? I leaned back wearily against the cold tile wall of the shower, the very same shower that had been the location of, perhaps, the most amazing sex I'd ever had. Words simply could not do justice to the experience Eric and I had shared here. I felt my body begin to quiver just thinking about it, and a rush of heat ran from my head all the way to my toes. I ran my fingers across my stomach, remembering Eric's touch... his mouth... his...

_Snap out of it, Sookie!_ I scolded myself, hoping Eric hadn't somehow felt my temporary wave of lust through the bond. I hurriedly got out of the shower, noticing the necklace box on the floor as I headed back into my room. I glared at it and kicked, causing it to slide back behind the sink. _Hmph! Take that you big, dumb viking!_

Looking at the clock I realized it was later than I had thought, and I only had a few hours to run my errands before work. I threw on my Merlotte's attire, knowing I wouldn't have time to come home and change, ran a brush through my hair, applied a little bit of makeup, and headed to the kitchen for some much needed coffee.

I immediately spotted the large Fed-Ex box sitting on the kitchen table. A quick, mental check of the house told me both Amelia and Octavia were out, so one of them must have received it earlier while I was still asleep. I moved past the table to first collect some coffee. Amelia had this wonderful habit, in addition to cleaning, of brewing coffee for me before she left the house, despite not drinking it herself. I took my steaming cup over to the table, inhaling the smell before taking a tentative sip. I suppose this was my way of steeling myself to discover the box's contents.

I released the packing tape with a butter knife and slowly removed another box from inside, lifting the lid. There was no note, but I certainly had no doubt this was the 'appropriate attire' Felipe had promised to send. So much for my good mood.

Folding back the tissue paper I inhaled sharply as my eyes fell upon the dress. It was a deep, periwinkle blue in a heavy fabric that I thought must be some sort of silk, though it was stiffer and heavier to the touch. Across the strapless, sweetheart neckline was some of the most intricate bead work I had ever seen, done in dark blues and what looked like some sort of crystals. I carefully lifted the dress from the box to examine it closer. The back was cut into a very deep V, and it laced up like a corset with a wide blue ribbon that matched the darker beads. Flowing out from the tight bodice was a full, billowy skirt that was longer in the back, almost like a train. Had it been white it would have looked like an elegant, modern bridal gown.

"Felipe must have a personal shopper," I said to the air. It was impossible the King with such an outdated sense of fashion had chosen this work of art. I realized he was right about one thing... I could never have afforded it.

I draped the dress carefully over the back of one of the kitchen chairs and looked back into the box to two more smaller boxes. The first contained shoes that must have been made just for the dress, in the same periwinkle and dark blue beads and crystals. I breathed a small sigh of relief that the heels were not too obnoxiously high.

I moved to the last box and nearly fell over when I opened it. The jewelry probably cost as much as my house. The necklace was a string of jeweled flowers with sapphires as the center and diamonds as the petals. There were earrings to match.

After carefully setting them back into the larger box, I flopped into the nearest chair, trying to catch my breath. I had expected Felipe would send some nice things, but nothing could have prepared me for this. The delicate charm Eric had given me suddenly didn't seem so outrageous, though the sentiment behind it certainly was. I made up my mind right away that I'd return the jewelry to Felipe immediately following the ball. I couldn't accept it, not just because of the cost, but because of everything it would imply if I did, even if only in my own mind.

Feeling a bit better after making that decision, I rushed all the items to my room, stowing them safely until they were needed. I made a quick call to the local salon, which was in the strip mall owned by Bill, to make an appointment for a mani/pedi and hairdo for tomorrow afternoon before the ball. I had to somehow make myself look like I belonged in such a dress, if for nothing else than to show Felipe how wrong he was about me, and this seemed like a good way to do it. Luckily they were able to squeeze me in at 4pm. With that handled I grabbed my car keys and dashed out of the house, having just enough time to hit the library to exchange my books before heading into Merlotte's.

~*~*~

As I walked into Sam's office to stow my purse he barely looked up from the papers on his desk.

"Hey boss," I said cheerfully (having already shored up my mental shields and plastered on my fake smile), and was heading back out to the bar.

"Sookie," Sam said in a low voice that hinted slightly at some agitation.

I poked my head back in the door, "Yes?" He gestured me back into the office and I did so, now a bit apprehensive.

He rose from his desk and moved behind me, closing the door with a heavy sigh. He didn't turn around.

"I hear you need New Year's Eve off," he said, almost sounding pained.

"I ah... oh," I replied, realizing I hadn't even thought about needing the night off. _Way to go, Sookie_.

Sam turned around to face me, leaning back against the door. I was caught up for a moment in his Paul Newman blue eyes, usually so full of warmth, but now only showing concern. "Sookie... what are you doing?" he asked with an edge in his voice.

"I'm sorry, Sam, I'm such a scatterbrain," I stammered. "It completely slipped my... wait... how did you know I needed the night off?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"I was ... _informed_ ... that I was to give you tomorrow night off by de Castro's secretary. She called this morning."

I simply nodded, not knowing what to say.

Sam took a deep breath, "You didn't answer my question."

"What am I doing? Well, I was about to go out and do the job you so graciously pay me for," I tried to joke, determined not to have my day ruined. Sam was not amused.

I sighed in exasperation, realizing he wasn't going to just let this go, and stomped over to flop into his chair. I folded my arms across my chest and kicked a bit at the bottom of the desk. I could hear gran's voice in the back of my mind telling me to stop pouting like a child, but I ignored it.

There was a few moments of awkward silence, and I guessed Sam might be trying to restore his patience with me. I'd certainly given him enough reason over the years to become fed up with me, yet somehow, he remained steadfast in his loyalty and friendship. He'd never given me trouble over needing time off when the vampires demanded my services, had always tried to support me in whatever ways he could, even when he didn't agree with my choices, and had even risked his life for me. I often felt like I didn't deserve to have him as a boss or as a friend.

Sam walked quietly over to me, resting his hands on either arm of the chair as he squatted down to look me in the eyes.

"Sookie," he began gently, but paused, searching for the right words.

"I know, Sam. I know," I softly replied, my voice cracking slightly as I tried to maintain composure. "I don't have a choice... at least not any good ones."

He nodded in understanding, searching my eyes a few moments longer, before chuckling weakly and reaching out to ruffle my hair, "You're going to be the death of me, Sookie Stackhouse."

I returned a weak laugh of my own, but inside I couldn't help the fear that some day those words just might come back to haunt us. Whether friend, acquaintance, or even enemy, those that crossed my path often ended up in mortal danger. I was a magnet for it. And Sam knew it.

Sam kissed my cheek and shooed me out the bar, and I was grateful that he hadn't continued to push the issue. I tied my apron on and set to taking orders and going about my usual work routine. I tried to savor up these last few moments of normalcy, pushing away an ever increasing sense of dread. Somehow I knew, come tomorrow night, everything was going to change.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: This is the last chapter of exposition and the "meat" of the plot is on its way. That means the chapters will get longer so may not come quite as quickly. Hang with me, I promise they will keep coming! As always, all reviews are very much appreciated and just inspire me to work harder and faster!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or stories from The Southern Vampire series. I can only hope that Ms. Harris does not mind me taking them out to play with.

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"Careful, don't smudge her makeup," Amelia said giddily to Claudine as the two of them pulled my dress down over my head. I had arrived home from the salon to find both of them eagerly waiting to help me get ready for the ball. I had tried hard to smile and keep up with their excited chatter, but my heart just wasn't in it. I appreciated their effort at making the coming events seem as special as getting ready for the prom, but I knew better. So did they, but they were trying to lift my spirits, and I couldn't fault them for that.

Amelia knelt down in front of me, helping me slip into my shoes, while Claudine laced up the back of my dress. I couldn't help but laugh a bit at the image in the full length mirror; fairy godmother helping Cinderella get ready for the ball. Claudine smiled gently at me through the reflection, her hands coming to rest on my bare shoulders once she finished.

"You look breathtaking, Sookie," she lilted.

Amelia moved to join Claudine behind me, ready to fasten the sapphire and diamond necklace around my neck, and nodded in agreement, "I daresay a certain viking is liable to choke when he sees you, despite the fact he doesn't breathe!" she laughed.

I shot her a look in the mirror, "I don't even know if Eric will be there, nor do I care," I replied flippantly... and completely unconvincingly. Of course Eric would be there, every vampire in Louisiana would probably be there, and I couldn't even make myself believe I wouldn't have been utterly distraught if he weren't.

Amelia rolled her eyes at me, shaking her head, but wisely stayed silent on the issue. Just then there was a knock at the door and Octavia poked her head in, "Sookie, the limo is here," and then turned to Claudine as an after thought, "Ah... you might want to wait in here."

Claudine quirked at her, but then nodded as she seemed to realize something neither Amelia nor I had picked up on.

"Well, this is it, Sook! You got everything you need?" Amelia asked.

I took a last, quick look at myself in the mirror, having to admit that I did look pretty darn good. The stylist at the salon had piled half my hair up on top of my head in loose curls, the rest cascading down my back. I touched the ridiculously expensive jewels around my neck and gulped, almost afraid to wear them for fear they'd be stolen or the clasp would break before I could return them to Felipe at the end of the evening.

I picked up my small evening bag and took a deep breath, "Ready."

Claudine hugged me gently, careful not to smear my makeup, and whispered into my ear, "Be careful, Sookie." I pulled back and nodded to her, taking note of a sadness behind her eyes that I had never seen. It certainly did nothing to help my nerves, but before I could ask her what was wrong, Amelia was pulling me out of the bedroom.

As I rounded the corner toward the front door I was startled by an audible gasp, and I looked up to see Bill standing on the front porch. Well now I knew why Octavia wanted Claudine to stay in my room. Fairies were like heroin to a vampire, and once they had one in their sights... well, let's just say Bill wouldn't be looking at me the way he was now.

"Bill," I smiled. "This is a surprise."

"The King asked that I escort you for the ride to the ball," he murmured, and I could already see the lust in his eyes as he took me in. I knew the King hadn't asked Bill, more like instructed, but I appreciated the company nonetheless. Bill and I had finally gotten to the point where I could stomach being in his presence, instead of being constantly reminded of his numerous betrayals.

"Sookie, you look..." came his cool voice along with the glint of slightly extended fangs, "... exquisite."

I smiled a bit self-consciously, but quickly remembered my manners. "You look quite handsome yourself," I said, remarking on his traditional black tux. It wasn't a lie, he reminded me vaguely of Rhett Butler with his slicked back, dark hair. Were it not for him almost devouring me with his eyes, I'd have said he was the picture of a Southern gentleman.

Bill offered me his arm, which I accepted, and we headed out to the ridiculous, black stretch limo. I never understood the point of such an over-sized vehicle, figuring their only purpose was for the rich to show off. Granted it wasn't like I had ever ridden in one, but I guess there's a first time for everything. I laughed a bit as I pondered how the crowd from Merlotte's would react to me pulling up for work in this thing, and even considered asking Bill if we could swing by for a pre-party drink. We couldn't of course, but the hilarity of the visual image helped relax me a bit.

The driver held the door open for me and I tried to figure out the most graceful way of sliding in, given the voluminous fabric of my dress. Bill must have sensed my hesitation because I suddenly found myself being gently swept up in his arms and gracefully deposited on the seat. I smiled a bit embarrassedly, but gratefully to him. He gave me a nod and slid into the seat opposite me. The driver shut the door and within moments we were heading down the road.

I looked around the massive expanse of the limo, taking in the dim lights, cellular phone, and all kinds of buttons that I had no idea of their use, before my eyes settled on a bottle of champagne in a bucket of ice.

"Wow!" I exclaimed like a kid who had just eyed a grand candy store.

Bill chuckled a bit and moved to retrieve the bottle, deftly squeezing the cork out, and pouring a single glass that he handed to me. He then opened a small door in the console beneath, revealing a fridge from which he retrieved a bottle of True Blood. There was even a tiny microwave next to it for warming. I simply marveled at it all, finally understanding some of the appeal. Once the microwave dinged, Bill removed his drink, shaking it before popping the top. He extended it toward me and clinked it against my glass.

"Happy New Year, Sookie," he drawled in that cool, calm voice that still managed to give me shivers.

I returned the sentiment with a smile, "Happy New Year, Bill."

Maybe tonight wouldn't be as horrible as I'd been expecting. I could allow myself this small moment of hope and happiness, even though I knew it was unlikely to last. I sipped the champagne, saying a silent prayer that I, and those I cared about, would survive the night. If any of the past mass gatherings of vampires I'd been to were any indication, survival was the best one could hope for.

Bill and I sat in silence for awhile, though it was not an awkward one. Perhaps he was working on shoring up his courage and confidence just as much as I was.

"Sookie?" he asked with a hesitancy to his voice that indicated a beginning to a conversation I was probably not going to like.

I caught his gaze, trying to give him a silent warning not to start anything unpleasant, "Yes, Bill?"

His jaw clenched slightly like he was fighting some inner battle over his next choice of words. I found myself thankful, once again, that I could not read vampire minds. I was sure that if I could I would not like what I heard, although that point was about to be moot.

"Do you love him?" Bill finally blurted out.

My eyes widened. I couldn't believe he had the nerve to start this now. Well, actually, I could believe it. Vampires in general, and Bill in particular, are not known for subtlety or a firm grasp on what topics are acceptable at any given point in time, at least in human terms.

"Pardon?" I said, trying to play dumb, even though I knew exactly what and whom he meant. There was no way I was going to give in to his fit of jealousy.

He growled faintly, agitated that I was forcing him to either be overly blunt or drop the subject altogether.

"Eric." He said, his voice icier than ever.

I quirked at him, determined not to give him the satisfaction of an answer, not that I even had one. "What about him?" I asked in mock innocence.

"Dammit, Sookie!" he roared, clearly not wanting to continue this little game of cat and mouse. I startled slightly from the forcefulness of his tone, and his demeanor immediately softened, regretting his outburst.

Luckily the car came to a halt just as I was steeling myself for the drama about to ensue. We had arrived and there was no time for further discussion. The weight of the situation we were about to walk into came crashing down on both of us and Bill tried, in vain, to give me a reassuring look.

The car door opened and Bill stepped out, offering me his hand. I inhaled deeply, bracing myself against the anxiety that threatened to strangle the oxygen right out of me. This was it... there was no turning back, and there was no room for the timid girl that wanted me to run in the opposite direction. It was time to face my demons, whether I was prepared to or not.

I was struck for a moment that the sense of calm I had expected to come flooding into me didn't arrive. Eric wasn't close.... or, if he was, he was just as anxious as I was and even the warmth of the bond couldn't override it. That thought nearly terrified me out of my skin, but I forced it aside.

I took Bill's hand and stepped out, plastering that familiar smile onto my face.

_You can do this, Sookie. Just breathe._

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Once again, a big thanks to all the reviewers! Don't worry, your questions about Eric's necklace are soon to be answered. Hold your breath, the ride is about to begin, and I promise to update ASAP!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or stories from The Southern Vampire series. I can only hope that Ms. Harris does not mind me taking them out to play with.

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I marveled at the expansive lobby of the Bossier City Horseshoe Hotel and Casino, with its polished, marble floors and massive chandelier. A Christmas tree that must have been about twenty feet tall sat in the center, brilliantly decorated in gold and white. It was a far cry from my little five foot tree with its hand-made ornaments and twinkling colored lights, and I felt for a moment it was almost mocking my humble existence. Despite my fancy dress and lavish jewelry, I felt completely out of place, like everyone who looked at me just knew I didn't belong here.

_Hold your head high and proud, Sookie, you're a Stackhouse woman!_ I could hear my gran's voice in the back of my mind, and that's exactly what I did. I would never be ashamed of where I'd come from, and told myself I had more class than all these rich folk milling about the lobby put together. I felt Bill give my elbow a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

I was about to follow him when a young human woman in a pencil skirt, silk blouse and glasses came rushing up to us.

"Excuse me, Mr. Compton?" she asked, sounding almost out of breath.

"Yes," Bill replied.

The woman looked relieved, "Thank goodness, I was afraid I'd missed you. I'm Kelly Marsden, Monsieur de Castro's secretary. He has asked me to fetch Miss Stackhouse," she said and finally acknowledged my presence, giving me a once over.

_Fetch me!?_ I thought, more than a bit irritated. Bill felt me tense up and his thumb lightly stroked the back of my elbow, as if willing me to calm down. Well, I would not calm down. I was not some dog (sorry, Sam) to be fetched. I felt my blood boiling and my face must certainly have been turning bright red. I glared at the woman and she actually looked a bit frightened.

"I'm so sorry, Miss Stackhouse, where are my manners? We've been so busy preparing for the ball, I fear I'm a bit... frazzled," she looked at me hopefully.

I was still steaming and I considered just turning around right there and storming out, but realized quickly that probably wasn't the best idea. Not only would Felipe be angry with me, but certainly there would be some retribution against this very mortal secretary. I nodded curtly to her and Bill kissed my cheek before we parted ways. As he'd pulled away I had noticed a sadness in his eyes very similar to what I'd noticed in Claudine earlier that night. Geez, what was with everybody?

"I'll see you in a bit, Sookie," he said calmly, as if to remind me he wouldn't be far away. The thought was a bit comforting.

"Please follow me, Miss Stackhouse," Kelly said and she began to lead me down a long corridor toward an elevator.

_Man, that was close. That's all I need, to make an enemy of this blond the Master has, for some bizarre reason, taken a shine to. What the hell has she got that I don't? I've been serving him faithfully for years in the hopes he'd turn me, but instead he's going to make this... this... bimbo his child??_

I stopped dead in my tracks. She was a strong broadcaster, and her thoughts had come through loud and clear. The room began to spin as a fear stronger than any I'd ever felt sucked the oxygen right out of me. I thought for sure I was about to faint.

"Miss Stackhouse, are you alright?" Kelly asked, a look of actual concern on her face.

"I... I..." I stammered, trying to hold onto consciousness, "Is there a bathroom nearby?" I asked, desperate to get away.

"Yes, of course," she said, taking my arm and leading me gently toward a door a little ways back down the corridor. "Do you need some assistance?" Kelly asked as she held the door open for me.

"N...no... thank you. I'll just be a minute." The moment the door closed I reached up to flick the lock, then collapsed in a heap on the cold tile floor.

Full blown panic was threatening to overcome my mind, my breathing was so rapid I was sure I was about to hyper-ventilate. I crawled over to the sink, forcing myself back to my feet, and splashed cold water over my face. I looked at myself in the mirror and blanched at how pale I was, despite my tanned skin. Was this how I would look as one of the... undead? I swallowed hard.

"Get a hold of yourself, Sookie," I scolded myself out loud.

Maybe Kelly was just making assumptions out of jealousy that she wasn't Felipe's date. I needed more information. I had to know what, exactly, I was about to walk into.

I closed my eyes, dropping all my mental barriers, and tried to reach out to Kelly's mind. I had never actually tried to invade someone's mind in the way I was about to attempt. Usually, when I needed to gather information, I would guide the person through the memories I was looking for, but there was no time for that now. I had no idea if this would even work, but I had to try.

Recalling how Barry and I had communicated in Rhodes, I attempted to 'transmit' a prompt into Kelly's mind, wanting to guide her thoughts back to where they had been a minute ago. At first I was only getting images of her annoyance at this delay and all the tasks she still needed to accomplish this evening, but after a few more mental 'nudges' on my part, her thoughts began to drift in the direction I wanted. I thought I was prepared for the horror of what I was about to encounter. I was wrong.

Kelly seemed to be eavesdropping, her head pressed up against a door. The voices inside were a bit muffled, but not so much that I couldn't make out what they were saying.

"She is mine, my bonded, and I will NOT give her over to you!"

The voice was Eric's, his slight accent much more pronounced than usual.

"I am your King, Northman, and it is by my grace alone that you have not already faced the end of a stake!" Felipe's voice roared.

I had to lower myself to the floor as Kelly's memories overwhelmed me with fear, though she, herself, was feeling nothing but anger and hurt.

"She will never willingly submit to you, she has no desire to become one of us," Eric choked, and I could tell he was fighting to keep control of himself.

Felipe laughed, "And that concerns me how? I will break her by whatever means necessary," he paused, then added in a tone that chilled me to my very core, "And if you care for the human, you will help make that process easier on her. Convince her that fighting is not in her... best interests."

Tears were now flowing freely down my cheeks, and I felt my stomach lurch, my dinner threatening to come back up.

Suddenly the door Kelly had been leaning against flew open and she stumbled backwards.

"And Northman..." Felipe said as Kelly watched Eric pause in the doorway. "I don't expect Victor will find you anywhere near the girl before the ball. She needs to get used to your absence."

Eric's fists clenched before he slammed the door to Felipe's office. I had never seen such rage on his face. He looked as though he might render the woman in front of him limb from limb to release his anger, but just stormed past her and out the door as I dislodged myself from Kelly's mind.

Everything was now beginning to make sense, the events of the past few weeks falling into place in my mind like pieces of a puzzle. Eric had seemed so determined we have our talk, but then had just fallen off the face of the map. No phone calls, no late night visits, nothing. I had thought he simply decided against it, not wanting to entangle himself any further in my 'paltry human dramas' as Pam had put it.

That scolding now made sense as well, Pam must have known about Eric's conversation with Felipe. There I was, throwing a tantrum over having to go on a date, never realizing my life, and possibly Eric and Pam's, were in imminent danger. Why didn't she warn me? She could have found some way to alert me, even if she couldn't tell me outright. I could've run... I could've done something, anything other than showing up to my own demise!

Then there were those looks Claudine and Bill had given me... did they know, too? Bill claimed he would die for me, now here he was walking me straight to that death? Maybe he wanted it, maybe he was thrilled with the idea of my becoming a vampire and being removed from Eric. Was that why he'd asked me that question in the car? If I had answered would it have made a difference?

Claudine certainly wouldn't have let me walk out of the house that night if she did, would she? She was my fairy godmother, sworn to protect me by my great grandfather, the fairy prince. For that matter, where was he in all this?? If Claudine knew she must have informed him.

Had everyone simply given up on me? Did they decide I was finally more trouble than I was worth? Were they that scared of Felipe? All these answers to recent actions by my so called 'friends' were only bringing up a thousand more questions.

But none of that made any difference in the grand scheme of things. Felipe seemed to have every intention of... turning me, and it was becoming clear to me that no one was going to stop him. I remembered his words... that he would... break me.

My eyes darted around the small bathroom, looking for any means of escape, but the only way out was the door I had come in. A door that was now being knocked on.

"Miss Stackhouse? Are you alright in there?" came Kelly's voice through the door.

I swallowed hard, clearing my throat in an attempt to hide my near panic, "Yes, fine! I just... forgot to eat dinner. I'll be out in a minute!"

My mind raced, if I was going to act it had to be fast. Sam! I would call Sam and he would race out here to get me... maybe he'd bring some of the Shreveport Weres with him. I quickly fished into my purse for my phone.

_No service_

I glared at the phone's screen. Of course it would betray me, everyone else had! I was shoving it back into my purse, about to go into full blown panic mode and try to just bolt out of the hotel, when my fingers brushed across something unfamiliar. I looked down into my bag.

It was the small velvet box, the one that held the necklace Eric had given me. Amelia must have hidden it inside. My fingertips caressed gently over the fabric, my whole body gripped by a sudden longing... and a realization. It was the last piece of the puzzle. Eric's note, that I had been so quick to judge as vampiric egotism... it wasn't that at all. He was sending me a message that he couldn't deliver in any other way.

With new found strength I rose up from the floor and looked into the mirror. I wiped my face and went about fixing my makeup. I felt a confidence I barely understood filling up my entire body, and I ripped Felipe's jewelry off, breaking the clasp on the necklace in the process. It, along with the earrings, went promptly into the trash.

As I fastened the golden 'E' around my neck, I took a deep breath, repeating my prayer from earlier that we would all survive... but I knew now just how unlikely that was. My viking warrior had been awoken, and tonight... the war would begin.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I am unsure if I will be able to get an update to you tomorrow, due to a very full day, but I will try my best. Thanks again for all the kind words, and, as always, reviews are welcomed and encouraged!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or stories from The Southern Vampire series. I can only hope that Ms. Harris does not mind me taking them out to play with.

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I was following Kelly back out to the elevator a few moments later. I realized I had to continue to play my part as if I hadn't discovered the fate Felipe had in store for me. Whatever plans Eric had, they most likely didn't involve me finding out what was going on, so the best, and only thing I could do, was to keep up the charade. I had a feeling I'd have to find my inner Sally Field before the night was over.

As we took the elevator up to the top floor, I gently clutched the charm around my neck. The gift that had sent me into a fury just forty-eight hours ago now felt like my lifeline. I still couldn't tell if Eric was nearby, though I tried to comfort myself with the idea my new found sense of cool confidence must have come from the bond.

The elevator doors slid open, and I soon found myself at the door to the penthouse. I took one last deep breath, trying to ready myself for any possibilities behind the door. Kelly swiped a card through the lock and stepped back, holding it open for me to enter. As I passed her she shot me a fake-looking smile (did mine look that obvious?), and in her mind I heard her call me a few choice words. I wasn't phased.

A short time ago the luxurious suite I entered would probably have had me awestruck, but now the only reason I took it in at all was for signs of danger and possible escape routes. Kelly hadn't come in with me, and I tried not to jump at the click of the door closing behind me. My entire body felt like it was vibrating, every one of my human senses pricked for the smallest indication of impending attacks. Even though I had reasoned Felipe would wait until after the ball to put his plan into action, I wasn't taking anything for granted.

It took only a moment for my would-be maker to step around the corner. I imagined the cold that swept through me couldn't have been more terrifying than if the grim reaper himself were standing in front of me. I was absolutely determined Felipe would not see that fear, and instead, flashed him a brilliant smile.

"Miss Stackhouse, you are a vision," he cooed with his thick accent.

"Your highness," I replied, curtsying deeply before him like a dutiful subject.

He nodded approvingly, slipping a finger beneath my chin to indicate that I should rise. His skin was like ice and it was all I could do not to let my repulsion at his touch show on my face. As I regained my normal posture the King began to look me over more thoroughly, even walking slowly around me like he was considering a new car purchase.

When he returned to his place in front of me, he opened his mouth, about to speak, until his eyes fell to the one thing he had yet to notice. The significance of the charm was not lost on him, and his gaze narrowed. I wondered then if my 'I am woman, hear me roar' moment had been such a good idea. Perhaps this act of defiance would anger Felipe enough that he would just attack me right here and now.

But, one did not get to such an immense level of power as the King held by acting on rash impulse. He extended his arm to me, "Shall we, Miss Stackhouse?" I did notice his voice had cooled considerably.

Flashing him another brilliant smile I took his arm, "Yes, your majesty," and he led me back out to the elevators.

Somewhere along our way to the banquet hall several vampires fell silently in stride behind us. I could only assume they were bodyguards. The air around us was charged with power like I had never felt, so different from the way it had been with Sophie Anne and her minions. Despite the fact Siegbert and company could have easily ripped my body to shreds, they still felt like people to me... with personalities and quirks just as we humans had. Not these guys, they were nothing more than silent killing machines.

Finally we reached a large set of double doors, and it was time for the pomp and circumstance of the evening to begin. They were whooshed open by two men in the hotel's uniform, and Felipe guided me forward. We were at the top of a grand, sweeping staircase, another massive crystal chandelier, like the one in the lobby, casting glimmering rainbow light all around.

"His Royal Highness, Felipe de Castro, King of Nevada, Louisiana, and Arkansas!" a young man announced in a loud, regal voice. I had to force myself to stifle a giggle at the ludicrous ceremonial nature of it all, complete with a crowd of golf-clapping vampires at the bottom of the stairs. We remained paused at the landing, Felipe soaking in his adoring public, and I took the opportunity to scan the crowd below.

The first person I spotted was Bill, noticing his face seemed even more pained and saddened than earlier. He tried to smile at me, even winking, which I thought was a bit overboard in the 'trying to reassure Sookie' department, but I appreciated it anyway.

Next I spotted Pam, who seemed to be in a heightened state of alert, her eyes continually darting around the room. Despite her obvious readiness to spring into action, there was also a sly smile on her lips. I hadn't seen her look like this since the night of the witch war and I found some strange comfort in it, knowing she had been victorious that evening.

Continuing my scan of the crowd I next spotted Bubba, and he waved up at me. I smiled, but thought it best not to return the wave. I was able to pick out a few of the Fangtasia vamps in the crowd, as well.

But the one person I had been searching for, the one I was desperate to see, was nowhere to be found. I looked back over to Pam, managing to catch her eyes as they swept over the room, and I questioned her with my own. Her face spread into an even wider grin and she held a finger up to her lips in a 'sshhh' motion. I grinned back at her.

My confidence now restored, I took a deep breath and smiled up at Felipe, attempting to play my roll as royal arm candy to the best of my ability. He nodded approvingly at me and finally we began descending the stairs. As if on cue the band started playing the moment we hit the dance floor, the large crowd sweeping away from us like Moses had parted the Red Sea. Felipe swept me into his arms with a flourish, and I tried not to gag from the similarity to a bride and groom's first dance at their wedding reception.

As we danced I silently wondered if Felipe would keep me plastered to his hip all night. I desperately wanted to search for Eric, or, at the very least, find some way to pull Pam aside to find out what was happening. I wasn't sure how long I could keep this charade going, especially when I felt Felipe's lips brush across my hair, his hand tilting my head to his shoulder. My skin crawled and screamed to get away from the offensive touch, and I shut my eyes tight now that my face was hidden against him.

For the first time I became aware of the sheer volume of 'voids' all around me, the blank spots left by vampire minds. There were dozens upon dozens of them, more than I could count. Surely there weren't this many vampires still left in Louisiana. Between hurricane Katrina and Felipe's assault there couldn't have been more than a quarter of their original numbers left.

Then it dawned on me, Felipe must have summoned a large chunk of his subjects from Nevada. Of course, he would want them to witness first hand his victory over Louisiana, and not just for the sake of his own ego. He was making a statement. The message was clear: don't mess with me.

I felt my confidence beginning to wane in that moment. Surely the small group of vamps still loyal to Eric couldn't possibly take on Felipe's virtual army. My nerves were fraying more and more by the minute. Maybe Pam's grin hadn't been one of confidence, but rather the look of a vampire excited at the prospect of battle, even if it meant her final death. They did love a good fight.

The music changed then and other couples began to fill the dance floor. My breathing was becoming more shallow as my fears began to return, despite my best efforts to keep them at bay. Felipe must have felt it because his hand began rubbing my lower back... brushing too low for my comfort. Oh... ick... he thought I was...

Just as I was thinking about how to remove myself from his grasp I was suddenly overcome with a rush of warmth... and calm... and... happiness.

"Excuse me, my King, but might I cut in?"

_Eric... _I breathed to myself, flooded with relief.

I felt Felipe stiffen ever so slightly, but apparently he wasn't ready to give away his game just yet, and stepped back from me. I avoided his eyes, not wanting to see the glare of death I was sure he was giving Eric.

"You may," de Castro replied, his voice as cold as ever. I exhaled the breath I hadn't realized I was holding. Felipe leaned down, kissing me on the forehead, "I'll catch up with you shortly, Miss Stackhouse," he said in a firm tone before drifting off to mingle with the herd.

I felt Eric's cool but gentle hand on my shoulder, turning me around to face him. I nearly burst into tears as my eyes met those brilliant pools of blue, so bright and full of warmth, piercing straight through to my soul. He looked more devastatingly beautiful than I had ever seen him, dressed in a perfectly tailored, black tux, accented with a dark blue satin cummerbund and bow tie. And there, peeking out just beneath the tie and laced through a thick chain, a golden, ornate 'S' with a dangling teardrop ruby.

I could no longer hold back my tears, which silently began to pour down my cheeks. Eric tenderly wrapped one arm around my waist while his other hand gently cupped the back of my head, bringing me into his embrace. He held me so close, slowly swaying to the music of John Hiatt's "Have A Little Faith In Me," which couldn't have been more perfect. My cheek was pressed against his chest, and I'd almost swear I could hear his undead heart beating.

In these few precious minutes the world around us seemed to melt away. There was only us, and nothing else mattered. We didn't speak a word, but they weren't needed. In that moment we both knew... feeling each other so completely through our bond, as if our hearts were laid bare for the other, offered freely and with no regret. As he had predicted so many times, I was his. But I knew now, he was also mine.

His hand gently caressed my hair, his thumb brushing one of the tears from my cheek. Every touch reassuring, every movement giving me strength and erasing all doubts from my mind. There was nothing left to question, no more excuses to be made. As if drawn together by forces beyond either of our comprehension, there was no more denying what we meant to the other.

As the last few chords of the song played, Eric leaned down, whispering so softly in my ear I had to strain to hear him.

"In my pocket. Room 315. Thirty minutes," he spoke quickly, though his voice was gentle. With his tuxedo coat shielding my actions from potential prying eyes, I reached into his pants pocket and retrieved the key card. He placed a tender kiss by my ear and, reluctantly, released me from his embrace.

Just as fast as my salvation from fear had come, he was disappearing into the crowd, and I was left to muster up my strength and return to Felipe's side.

TBC

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A/N: Due to the site's policy on song lyrics, I was unable to include them into the text. However, I'd encourage everyone to look them up, or download the song if possible. The scene was very much inspired by the lyrics.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I apologize for the short length on this chapter, but as I said my day was very full today, and I at least wanted to get something out to you. I do think you'll enjoy the next little twist, though! I promise another update very soon. As always, comments, constructive criticism, and suggestions are very welcomed and appreciated!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or stories from The Southern Vampire series. I can only hope that Ms. Harris does not mind me taking them out to play with.

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I slowly picked my way through the crowd to the rear of the dance floor. The ballroom was immense with plaster walls reaching a full two stories, currently swathed in purple and gold bunting and balloons for New Year's. A long buffet table was set against the far wall overflowing with treats for the living party guests. Behind it were a row of men and women easily recognized as fangbangers, despite their slightly more upscale dress. The each wore the familiar 'willing donor' tags I had seen in Rhodes.

It wasn't until that moment I realized that the wait staff, who were weaving their way deftly through the crowds offering hors d'ouevres and drinks and True Blood, were wearing uniforms with the familiar 'EEE' logo of Quinn's event planning company. Certainly it shouldn't surprise me, considering they seemed to be involved with any supe event of any significance. Not only that, but Quinn had been forced into the service of Felipe de Castro not long ago, in order to repay a debt owed by his mother. It was Quinn who had provided much of the information on the Louisiana vampires to de Castro's crew, facilitating the quick and ruthless strike that led to Felipe's takeover. He hadn't wanted to do it, but he hadn't exactly gone out of his way to warn me either, sending his sister Frannie at the last minute, when it was already too late. It was that very circumstance that had caused me to break things off with the weretiger, not wanting to play second fiddle to his family. His betrayal cut too deep into my heart, even though I was probably being unfair, but I couldn't help the way I felt.

I began to wonder if Quinn was actually here and decided now would be a good time to better assess my surroundings. I certainly wasn't in a hurry to get back to Felipe. I glanced around and spotted a small, unoccupied alcove with a sofa and a few chairs and slipped over to it, standing with my back against the wall in a manner I hoped would keep me mostly out of sight from the party-goers. Waiting a few moments to be sure no one was following me, I closed my eyes and began to reach out with my mind.

It took a moment for me to swim through the numerous vampire 'voids' to find a mind I could latch onto, but so far all I was getting were the lusty thoughts of the donors and wait staff memorizing drink orders. I also picked up a few humans in various vampire entourages, but their minds held nothing of value. I continued on, reaching further, wondering just how far I could push myself in the din of so many voices and voids.

That's when I caught it, the snarled red of a shifter mind... make that minds.

_Jesus Christ, Shepherd of Judea_!

They were everywhere, more than twenty by a quick mental count, but they weren't close. It was as if the hotel was surrounded by the snarling red, blanketing the building in a cloak of tension. They all appeared alert, like they were preparing for something... stalking... waiting to pounce.

My eyes flew open and I searched frantically for Pam or Bill or anyone I could warn, but in true 'Sookie Stackhouse: Danger Magnet' form, my darting eyes caught the attention of perhaps the worst possible person aside from Felipe. Victor had locked me into his sights, almost like he could smell my sudden burst of fear, and was in front of me in moments.

"What is it?" he demanded, not bothering with the pleasantries of a greeting.

Now, a pragmatic person in my situation would have taken the time to debate the pros and cons of giving Victor the heads up of an impending attack. I could almost hear the internal debate Eric would have with himself about this, much like the bout of, what seemed to me like indecisiveness, I had felt when I was trying to determine how to deal with Sigebert. However, I am no pragmatist, and the need to protect those I cared about in this building trumped any concern I had for my own well-being and how this little development may have aided in my escape.

"Shifters... Weres... we're surrounded!" I gasped frantically.

I had expected Victor to spring to action and run to his boss with my warning. I expected him to sound the alarm for all the vampires to prepare to fight. I expected _anything_ other than what happened next.

Victor simply looked down at me and smirked, which then spread into a grin, and then a burst of chuckling, "Oh Sookie, you _are_ adorable. I can see why you amuse Eric and Bill to no end."

I blinked at him in utter confusion, so much that I couldn't even get angry at his obviously patronizing statement. Victor put his hand on my shoulder then, gesturing back to the alcove. I let him lead me back to it, more than a bit dazed, and he guided me so that my back was up against the far corner. Placing his hand next to me against the wall, he leaned over me, shielding me from view of anyone who might be walking by. For a moment he seemed to be inhaling my scent, and I stiffened with the fear he was starting to think of me as dinner. This only seemed to fuel his amusement.

"You needn't fear me, my plucky little telepath," he chuckled, "Though, from your exquisite scent, I imagine you are quite tasty."

That only served to heighten my tension, my breath hitching in my throat. Victor lowered his gaze, lifting my chin with a finger so that I was forced to meet his eyes. Strangely, there was a gentleness in them I couldn't comprehend. I knew this vampire to be utterly vicious, and I'd had no doubt whatsoever he would've killed me the night he was in my living room, despite Eric's assurances I was too valuable.

Victor leaned further into me, his lips brushing right up against my ear as he whispered, "Who do you think let Sigebert survive?"

My eyes went wide. Victor had orchestrated the attack on Felipe... he wanted him dead. But, that meant he also wanted Eric dead, and I was trying to figure out how this was supposed to reassure me that Victor meant me no harm... unless Eric...

Victor smirked at me, as though he could see the wheels turning in my brain, trying to make heads or tails of this. "Pretty convincing, wasn't he?"

I simply stared, causing Victor to roll his eyes, annoyed that apparently the sad little human wasn't catching on. He raised up, looking around to make sure no one was around before continuing.

"Sookie, I know you have questions, but I simply cannot answer them all. To give you the answers would only put you in further jeopardy, and it's clear you aren't the best judge of when and when not to open your mouth," he quipped.

I narrowed my gaze at him, angry that he found my attempts to save him and his fellow undead to be nothing more than rash human stupidity. He sighed, his countenance softening a bit. There were things he clearly wanted to say but was swallowing them down, and I was getting dizzy with confusion over all of this.

He straightened up a bit, "You needn't worry about the shifters. I'm sure if you take a few moments to probe a bit further, you will find this out for yourself." Victor reached forward, brushing a stray curl from my face, "Things are almost never what they seem, Sookie, especially in our world. I think someday, maybe sooner than you think, you'll come to understand this."

Great, just what I needed... more cryptic vampires with their vague (and in this case cliché) speeches. Part of me wanted to just haul off and slap him, and the other part of me wanted to find a quiet spot to curl up in and wait for this nightmare to be over. I had never felt like more of a pawn, that everything in my life was completely out of my control, and that I had no decision or say in it. It seemed like everyone but me knew exactly what was going on, and I was so sick of being in the dark.

The emotional roller coaster I had been on all night was beginning to catch up with me, and I was feeling utterly drained. The night had barely begun and I was already exhausted. I thought once again about calling Sam to get me the heck out of here, but before I knew what was happening, Victor was suddenly pressing me harder against the wall...

Out of nowhere his lips were on mine in a rough, fierce kiss.

Before I had time to protest, I heard a male voice calling out from behind him.

"Victor! When you're done with your... snack, the King wants you."

I understood then what was happening. Victor's heightened vampire senses must have told him someone was approaching, and he was doing his best to conceal me and avoid any suspicion. Though I detested it, I made a moan loud enough for the other vampire to hear, trying to make myself appear to be one of the fangbangers.

After a few more moments Victor released the kiss, unable to hide a glint of fang, but tried to appear apologetic. I waved my hand, indicating I didn't want to discuss it, and he nodded.

"Stay here for a few minutes after I leave, hopefully no one will notice," he said.

I looked at him coldly, "I may not understand all of your vampire plotting, scheming, and maneuvering, but I am not stupid."

He grinned, "No, no you aren't, Sookie Stackhouse." He winked at me and spun around, leaving me there fuming and still completely, utterly confused. _Damn vampires_.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Sorry this is going up so late in the evening, but it's a long one, and time for some answers you've all been dying for! Don't think that's the end of the shockers, though, I've got a few more tricks up my sleeve. Can't wait to read your thoughts and reviews!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or stories from The Southern Vampire series. I can only hope that Ms. Harris does not mind me taking them out to play with.

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I wanted to confirm Victor's assurances about the shifters, but there was no time. By my judgment I had maybe ten minutes to get to room 315, and I needed to plot a route to avoid bumping into Felipe. I was sure he had to be looking for me by now, I'd been gone for far too long since my dance with Eric. I felt an ache run through my body for a moment as I remembered how it had felt in Eric's arms, but I needed answers. I determined right then and there that either Eric would give them to me, or I was finished. I'd find a way out of here and run, leave Bon Temps even, if I had to, but I would no longer be a pawn in their supernatural games.

I had seen very little of the hotel at this point, and the only sure way I knew back to the guest rooms was up the staircase, but that was far too exposed and I'd be spotted for sure. There was a set of double doors across the room from me, and I figured they'd lead out to a lobby or some other hallway. It was my best bet, and I'd try to find my way from there, but still there were just too many people between me and those doors for my own comfort.

I scanned the crowd, and quickly found exactly what I was looking for; the perfect distraction.

"Bubba!" I said in a loud whisper, hoping he was lucid enough to hear me. His head immediately cocked to the side as he looked for the source. I called his name again, and he spotted me, his face lighting up with a goofy grin as he sauntered over to me.

"Hi, Miss Sookie!" he said a bit too loudly. I quickly hushed him and pulled him into the alcove.

"Is somethin' wrong, Miss Sookie?" he asked, more softly this time.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the rather large risk I was about to take, "Yes, Bubba, and I need your help."

"Of course, Miss Sookie, anything for you," he beamed.

I smiled gently to him, taking his hand, "Bubba, I need your help distracting the vampires so that I can sneak out of here."

He looked a bit confused (okay, he usually looked confused), so I continued, "Eric needs my help."

"Ohhh," Bubba said, and I could almost see the light bulb go on over his head, "So, whatcha' want me to do? I could throw cake on one of the fangbangers!"

I stifled a giggle, goodness knows that would have amused me to no end, but the buffet was too close to me, for one, and I didn't think that would be a big enough distraction since most of the vamps would likely be indifferent.

"No, Bubba... I need you to..." I trailed off for a moment, praying my throat wasn't about to be torn out, "... could you sing?"

Bubba's eyes glazed over a bit, and he started making a strange clicking noise with his tongue. I couldn't even begin to gauge this reaction but I felt compelled to keep talking, "Please, Bubba... I would never ask you if it weren't an emergency. It would be a wonderful gift for the new King!" I babbled on.

His eyes narrowed a bit, "I don't like the new King, Miss Sookie, I don't wanna give him a gift." He paused and made the clicking noise a few more times, and I closed my eyes tight, sure this was going to be the end of me.

"But for you, I'll do it," he said softly, and I felt a rush of air as he took off for the stage on the opposite end of the room.

I breathed a huge sigh of relief, trying to get my knees to stop from shaking, and poked my head around the corner. I watched Bubba talk to the band leader, and then step up to the microphone, tapping on it. Everyone in the room collectively turned toward the stage, and I heard the beginning strains of "Viva Las Vegas" from the band.

He spoke into the mic with that unmistakable voice, "From one King to another, hope you enjoy this little tune." Leave it to Bubba to not only give me a distraction, but a very apropos one at that.

The crowd went crazy (well, as crazy as vampires get) the moment Bubba began to sing, and I felt almost sorry that I couldn't stay for this rare event. Once I was absolutely certain all eyes were diverted from my direction I moved as quickly as I could toward the double doors, slipping through them without being stopped.

_Thank you, Bubba, thank you very much._

Luckily these big hotels always have directional signs posted on the walls, and I easily made my way over to the elevators, pressed the button, and waited impatiently for it to arrive.

"I watched you dance with him," I heard Bill's familiar, cool voice. I'm afraid of what it says about me that I wasn't startled. Clearly I was getting used to the silent vampire sneak-ups, and I'm not quite sure how I feel about that.

He emerged from a shadowed spot in the corridor and was standing next to me. I remained silent.

"I saw how he held you... and how you..." his voice hitched.

I sighed heavily, not sure if I wanted to scream at him or just collapse on the spot from sheer emotional exhaustion. The elevator doors opened, and I stepped in, still not responding to my ex-flame. Of course, he followed me in.

I felt my anger rising, all the events of the evening boiling up in the pit of my stomach. I was about to come uncorked, and Bill just happened to be the one to put himself in the line of fire. I slammed my fist into the stop button on the control panel, so hard that I cut my knuckles, and whirled around to face Bill.

"Who the hell is Victor Madden to you and Eric, why are there dozens of shifters surrounding the building, and how could you bring me here when Felipe de Castro has every intent of turning me into his child?!?!?"

The words flew from my mouth in a torrent of red-faced rage. I didn't care about the level of my voice or the shrieking alarm of the elevator. I had finally gotten in a preemptive strike, and I wanted answers, right this minute.

Bill stared at me wide-eyed, stunned not only at my outburst, I guessed, but at the knowledge I seemed to have procured. In a flash of vampire speed he hit the button on the elevator to stop the alarm and get us moving again, then grabbed me from behind, one arm pinning mine behind me, and the other covering up my mouth. I fought and kicked with every ounce of strength I had, which was futile, of course. He wasn't hurting me, but was keeping a firm enough grasp that I couldn't try to stop the elevator again or start screaming.

When the doors slid open at the third floor I felt us rise off the floor, still clutched firmly in his grasp, and we were floating to room 315. He must've done this to prevent me stomping on the ground, and I was almost out of my mind with anger. At one point I tried to bite his hand, and even attempted to kick my foot back into his groin, all to no avail.

Bill reached out to tap the door with the toe of his foot a few times, a knock no one but another vampire could've heard, and a moment later Pam was at the door. She took in the scene before her and nearly doubled over with quiet laughter.

"Oh, oh... this is too priceless," she gasped, her eyes never more sparkling with sheer amusement than in that moment. I shot her a look of death which only made her clap her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing any louder.

As if my humiliation at this point wasn't enough, Victor's head popped around Pam's shoulder to see what all the fuss was about.

"Pam, what is..." he started to ask, then noticed me still fighting like a butterfly caught in a very big net, doubling over right along with Pam. Just then, those two seemed like peas in a pod.

"Are you going to let us in, or should we just stand out here and wait for Castro to join you in your amusement?" Bill asked sharply.

That shut them up quick and they immediately stepped aside, allowing Bill room to glide in, still wrapped around me. I heard the door click shut behind us, and then the two peas promptly burst back into fits of stifled laughter.

I was so mad by this point I was seeing double. I fought violently against Bill, kicking and trying to wrench myself free, knocking over a lamp on a nearby table in the process.

"What the _hell_ is going on in here?!"

Eric's voice was so commanding everything suddenly became noiseless and still, including me. He was standing in the doorway of an adjacent room, his eyes blazing with anger. I watched his fangs instantly flick down as he looked at Bill holding onto me like a prisoner.

Bill immediately began backing up with me still in his arms, "Eric, she was screaming and going to draw too much attention..." he was hurriedly explaining.

He might as well have been speaking alien for all the good it did. Eric was springing toward us in a fit of blind rage. Luckily the two giggle twins moved almost as quickly, jumping in between us and holding Eric back with all their might.

"Put... her... down," Eric growled in a voice more demon than human.

"Sookie, are you going to stay quiet?" Bill asked me, his voice more nervous than I had ever heard. I nodded my head vehemently, knowing I would have a (finally) dead ex-boyfriend on my hands if I didn't.

Bill set me gently back on my feet, slowly backing away from me, Pam and Victor still struggling to hold Eric at bay. I quickly realized Eric's anger was only being fueled by my own through the bond, and I tried desperately to calm myself.

I stepped slowly around Pam, reaching a hand forward to Eric's arm, "Eric, I'm okay... really, it was my fault..." I said in the most gentle and soothing voice I could. I noticed Bill had dropped reverently to one knee, his eyes averted to the ground in deference to his sheriff. I had never before seen Bill cowed like this, and it finally registered with me just how much danger I must have put us in for him to take such a risk of man-handling me right in front of Eric.

"Eric... please..." I whispered, my voice full of guilt and regret, continuing to try to soothe him through the bond, "He didn't hurt me."

I felt him begin to relax a bit, Pam and Victor right along with him. The strain had really begun to show on their faces, and I knew they wouldn't have been able to hold him much longer. They each stepped a bit to either side of him, still ready to grab back on if necessary.

Eric leveled his gaze at the still kneeling Bill.

"If you _ever_ touch her again in that manner, not even the hounds of hell will be able to hold me back from driving a stake into you. Is that understood?"

"Yes, my lord," Bill said quickly, his eyes still down.

Eric's gaze then flicked to Pam and Victor, "And you two, don't think I didn't notice your amusement at his actions."

They both immediately joined Bill on the ground, uttering their understanding and apologies.

By this time I was positively shaking, and I felt my knees about to give way. Before I could collapse Eric was sweeping me up into his arms, carrying me into the other room, leaving the cowed vampires to ponder how close they'd come to their own demise.

I was cradled against Eric, my arms holding on weakly around his neck, and the tears were already threatening as the door closed behind us. He glided over to the bed, laying me down so gently I barely noticed the feel of the mattress beneath me. He sat next to me silently, stroking my hair, the tenderness in his gaze overwhelming me.

"Are you sure he didn't harm you?" he asked softly.

I nodded, waving my hand to indicate that Bill was the least of my concerns. Eric's hand glided down from my cheek to my collar bone, and he fingered the delicate necklace with a smile, "I was afraid you wouldn't wear it."

"I nearly didn't," I said honestly, too tired to even think about the consequences of anything I might say.

Eric nodded, and I began to see the weight of the evening on his face. "Sookie..." he began hesitantly, and I put my fingers to his lips.

"Eric, I know what Felipe is planning."

If he was surprised, he didn't show it. Sighing heavily, he rose from the bed, wandering slowly over to the large window that overlooked some outdoor fountains. I felt an immense sense of despair and guilt through the bond, crushing down on him (and therefore me), and I curled up a bit tighter on the bed, watching him.

He leaned with a shoulder against the wall, resting one foot atop the heating unit below the window, staring out into the night. Moonlight poured over his skin, making him look more pale than usual, and shining over his beautiful blond hair that had been slicked back into a low ponytail. He was breathtaking as ever.

His gaze didn't shift when he began to speak, as if he were telling a story to the stars, and I just happened to be present. His voice sounded far away, losing all trace of the charismatic, bantering Eric that I knew. He spoke slowly, pausing between each sentence, with a note of purpose to every carefully chosen word.

"I knew they were coming more than a week ahead of time. Victor had sent word by messenger. He and I fought together in the war with the fae many years ago, during the course of which I had opportunity to save him from a near-staking. As was custom among vampires at the time, he swore fealty to me above all others in payment of that debt..."

He trailed off for a few moments, but I knew better than to even consider speaking. Eric was giving me the answers I needed without me even having to ask, and I could've told just from his face and the tone in his voice how difficult this was for him. The bond only served to confirm, and allow me to share in his pain.

"There was nothing that could have been done to prevent de Castro's takeover, our numbers were simply too depleted, and the Queen far too weak to make any stand against him..." he swallowed as his voice caught in his throat, and I knew he was overwrought with anger and guilt, but that his words were the truth as he believed it to be.

"So, the best I could hope for was to somehow ensure my survival, along with those who owe me fealty, but there wasn't much time. Through a series of hand delivered messages by those we trusted, Victor and I worked out a plan that he would be the one to lead the assault on Fangtasia. He had managed to convince de Castro that I, and my business, were valuable enough to keep around... and my perceived hold over you... was a bonus." He rubbed at his forehead as if it were aching, though I knew that wasn't possible in a physical sense.

"I made sure that when they caught up to me that night it wouldn't be at the bar. I was afraid if anything went wrong that my people would get caught in the crossfire. The intention had been to stage our 'showdown' at Bill's place, but the fool had run over to your house before I could get there," he clenched his fist a few times, but I wasn't about to defend Bill and say he had only been concerned with protecting me.

"After that night I thought that would be the end of it. Felipe would take over and, in time, things would go back to a relative state of normalcy. Victor apparently had other plans..." he pushed away from the window then, but didn't meet my eyes. He walked over to the console table that held the television, picking up a half drunken bottle of True Blood and taking a swig. It must've been cold, I'd thought, but he didn't seem to care. His back remained to me as he continued.

"I found out the next night that Victor had stashed Sigebert somewhere, and that he intended to set him loose on Felipe at an opportune moment, and that he wanted my help. I had already begun to sense how much I was going to be overseen by de Castro and his flunkies... and it seemed like a perfect solution. I've never had any desire to be King, I just wanted to be left to run my area and Fangtasia in peace. However, Victor is younger than I, and no one would buy me pledging fealty to him without a damn good reason."

He put both his hands on the table, tiredly leaning his weight onto his arms. "The plan was to let Sigebert kill Felipe. Victor would be 'too late' to save him, but just in time for me. We were taking a big gamble that Sigebert would go after Felipe first, but it seemed a reasonable assumption he'd want to take more time torturing me, as my betrayal would seem far greater..."

I shuddered once again thinking of the hulking, ancient vampire torturing Eric, which he must have felt, "Don't... it was nothing less than I would have deserved. It doesn't matter that the prospect of victory was almost non-existent, I _did_ betray the Queen when I did not warn her."

I swallowed hard, trying to soothe him once again through the bond so that he could continue. He stayed silent a few moments longer, taking another sip of the True Blood, before finding his voice again.

"It seemed like a perfect plan... Castro would receive final death... I would appear indebted to Victor, assuring his ascension to the throne... I thought I'd accounted for every possible detail..."

_Oh... God..._ _ I'm the 'detail' he didn't account for..._

He turned around, sensing my realization, and knelt down at the side of the bed, taking my trembling hands in his.

"Sookie, listen to me," he said gently. "This is in no way your fault. I want you to wipe your mind of that very idea right now."

My eyes were brimming with tears, and there was no way I could just let go of the idea that I had been the cause of all this. I was the one who had turned back, saving Eric and the King, and ruining their carefully laid plans. His fingers reached out to tenderly stroke my cheek, his blue eyes holding my gaze.

"This is no one's fault but my own, dear one. I made the fatal mistake of underestimating you," he tried to laugh, but saw quickly I wasn't going to laugh with him.

He went on softly, "I should have known, Sookie. The night I got my memories back of our time together... I was overwhelmed... it was almost impossible for me to believe. I had nearly a thousand years of experiences telling me that it simply could not have happened the way I was remembering. If I hadn't been so determined to deny that I could be so... weak... so..."

I blinked a stray tear down my cheek, praying that he would stop driving this knife into my heart.

Eric caressed the tear away with his thumb, "It took me being confronted with the idea of losing you to de Castro... he went on and on that night you saved us about your loyalty to me... your beauty... your feisty spirit... how enchanting you were..." I saw a gleam of red at the corner of his eye. "I was ready to stake him right there and damn the consequences."

"Eric..." I finally whispered, unable to stay silent any longer.

He shook his head, needing me to let him finish. "I should have known you would feel my agony through the bond, but you couldn't possibly have realized I was putting myself through it on purpose. When you risked your life to save me... went up against a vampire I myself wouldn't have tried to take head on... Sookie, I couldn't fathom that kind of devotion so freely given."

I couldn't let that one slide, "Eric... you would have done the same for me, and you have... many times, and I can't believe that you were merely protecting an... asset."

He nodded, his voice growing more quiet, "No, you are right. It's what I told myself, though. To admit the truth, even to myself..." he trailed off for a moment, "But, if I had... if I hadn't been so willfully blind... I would have known what you would do."

He lowered his head, and I couldn't help my need to pull him into my arms, just how I had felt the need to care for and comfort him when he lost his memory. I could sense his internal struggle, but he gave in, allowing himself a moment of weakness and need.

I held him quietly, knowing there were no words I could speak to ease the pain and guilt, but worst of all, shame. He felt he had utterly failed in every imaginable way, and was now allowing himself to be comforted by the person he felt he had wronged the most. I could feel that he didn't care if he came to final death this night, as long as it rescued me from the one thing he knew I didn't want... to become one of his kind.

I let that sit with me, rolling it around in my mind for a few moments, but now really wasn't the time to debate with myself if I was being selfish by wanting to remain human, regardless of who my maker would be. I had to do something... anything to bring Eric back to himself. If he were still wallowing in this misery when the time came, I thought his chances of survival would be far less. I pushed against his shoulders to prompt him to straighten up and look at me.

"Well, then," I stated, my voice as full of cool confidence as I could muster, "I think it's time to go bowling for vampires."

He couldn't help but grin.

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: I can't thank you all enough for the amazing reviews and words of encouragement. You make writing this that much more enjoyable, and I look forward every day to writing a new chapter. I get my energy from your excitement over the story! I hope everyone in the U.S. had a great Thanksgiving!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or stories from The Southern Vampire series. I can only hope that Ms. Harris does not mind me taking them out to play with.

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"So what's the plan?" I asked, surprised by the excitement and eagerness in my voice. For the first time I was starting to feel as though I were truly part of Eric's world, not just a barely willing outsider. He chuckled, the sparkle returning to his perfect blue eyes, along with that patented Viking leer.

Eric rose up a bit, placing both hands on the bed to either side of me, his face so close to mine I could feel the radiating coolness of his skin. For a moment my body seemed to forget how to breath, held so completely captive by his gaze I was virtually frozen, unable to give in to the screaming and sudden need that threatened to tear me open just to bring him inside.

"The plan," he said in that low, husky voice that washed over me like a caress, "is to keep that bastard Spaniard from ever harming a hair on that beautiful, golden head. I would no sooner drive a stake into my own chest than I would see him take you for his own." His eyes blazed with a mix of blood and battle lust that seemed to cause his entire being to glow with anticipation and desire.

Eric's lips moved beside my ear, "And as much as I would love nothing more than to pin you to this bed right now and claim what is _mine_, I fear we will have to suffer the agony of waiting a little while longer."

His words and the sound of his voice alone had me hovering on the edge, and my usual indignation at his claims of ownership... never crossed my mind. I could only give a small whimper of my need as he stood back up to his full six foot, four inches of glory. He was no less than a Viking God to me in that moment, and I was ready to fall on my knees and beg for his salvation.

He extended his hand to help me rise from the bed, "Come, lover. We have matters to attend to."

I reluctantly took his hand, involuntarily stroking his ego further with another whimper, and let him lead me back to the sitting room. I made a silent promise to myself that, if we survived the night, I would remind him that he wasn't the only one capable of driving the other near to insanity with need.

I was shocked back into reality as we returned to the other room.

"About time," Victor said with an edge in his voice. "She's gotta get back out there, Eric, Felipe is practically on the warpath looking for her."

I immediately felt myself tense, and Eric began stroking the inside of my palm with his thumb.

"Sookie will not be returning to the ball. Pam, go find Bubba," Eric commanded, and Pam was out the door in a flash.

"What? Eric, she _has_ to go back..." implored Victor. "This entire thing depends on her being able to keep de Castro sufficiently... distracted."

My eyes widened as I caught the inference behind Victor's words, but Eric cut me off before I could say a word.

"Absolutely not, I will not put her in any further danger. We will simply alter our plans accordingly," he stated in a tone that made it known the subject was no longer open for debate. Bill seemed to nod in approval from his chair in the corner.

Victor turned around, pacing for a few moments in frustration, "Fine, then what's your new grand plan, oh magnificent, viking warrior?" he snapped.

Eric's gaze slowly fell onto Victor, and I felt myself instinctively taking a step backward. Waves of rage began to roll across the bond, and I heard a series of growls, first from Eric, then Victor, and then Bill. It was like all three of them had been on the edge all night from anticipation of a battle, and they were having trouble keeping it in check.

Just as I thought one of them might pounce on another at any second, the door opened, Pam and Bubba walking into the scene. Pam's eyes instantly flicked over the room, and she shook her head in amusement.

"Sookie, I just can't leave you alone with the boys for even a minute without them all wanting to kill each other to get to you," Pam quipped. It was enough to break the mounting tension, at least a little. Eric smirked at her, and she curtsied with a little flourish.

"Miss Sookie!" Bubba exclaimed. "Did I do good?"

"You were wonderful, Bubba. I'm just sorry I couldn't stay to hear you sing!" I said genuinely.

Eric quirked a brow at me, but knew better than to inquire further.

"Eric's right, we need to get Sookie out of here," came Bill's cool voice. I hated his knack for stomping on lighter moments in times like these, always the first to snap everyone back into serious mode. For once, he and Eric were in total agreement.

I, on the other hand, was not about to let them make all the decisions.

"Excuse me for asking what I'm sure most of you will deem as a 'stupid human' question, but without me to provide a distraction, just how are the small group of you going to take on Felipe and all his cronies? There's at least fifty vampires out there, most of whom, I'm assuming, are loyal to their King," I flicked my gaze to Victor on the last sentence.

As if on cue there was a knock at the door, and Eric grinned. Pam moved to peek out the peephole, nodding to Eric before opening the door. My jaw instantly dropped as I watched the four person parade that entered.

First in the door was none other than Russell Edgington, King of Mississippi, to whom all the present vampires immediately bowed. It was at Edgington's compound in Mississippi that Bill had been held captive and tortured by his maker, Lorena, but Russell had claimed no further involvement on his part. It was also in his home where Eric and I almost had sex for the first time, after I was staked defending Russell's second in command, but that's a whole other story.

Following behind Edgington was my sort of ex, and Shreveport Were Packmaster, Alcide Herveaux. He looked far more confident and in control than I remembered, but I suppose becoming a leader, especially under the circumstances that he did, had caused him to grow up quickly. He smiled warmly to me, and I was glad to see that it seemed the deaths of Debbie Pelt and Maria Star Cooper were at least somewhat behind us.

Next into the room was my good friend, and head of the Hotshot werepanthers, Calvin Norris. I had recently been forced to break his hand with a brick, due to werepanther custom concerning his niece cheating on my brother, Jason. I had felt awful about it, and had yet to speak to Jason again, but was glad to see that Calvin's hand look fully healed.

A few moments later, the last person entered, and it was then I realized why they were all here. I felt my heart beginning to break... they were all here because of me. Well, I wasn't entirely sure about Russell, but the rest of them were going to face down death because they either felt they owed me... or because they loved me. The last person, was Sam.

There was a short series of greetings and introductions, drink pouring and True Blood offering. The room felt quite crowded by this point, and I watched Bubba and Bill pull all the seats available into a circle, but some of them would still have to stand. I took a moment to work my way over to Sam, after saying my hellos to the rest, who was standing a bit awkwardly in the corner. I barely knew what to say.

"Sam..."

He smiled a bit, pulling me into a hug. I felt Eric tense a bit through the bond, clearly watching the interaction from the corner of his eye, but he made no move to interrupt.

"Sam, you shouldn't be here... this isn't your fight," I whispered against him.

He gently tilted my head up to look at him, "Of course it is, Sookie. I can't have someone stealing my best waitress," he winked. I hugged him even tighter, overwhelmed by the show of support from everyone... and not one of them human. It was in that moment that I finally realized, and probably even accepted, that this was my world now. I had finally found where I belonged.

For the next thirty minutes I felt like I was sitting in on a war council, and I stayed very silent, in awe of what had to be an unprecedented event. Weres and shifters would normally never get involved in vampire politics, much less fight along side them in an affair that had nothing to do with them. The only other time I knew of that such a thing had occurred, was when a temporary alliance had been forged against Hallow and her coven, but that had been an equal threat to both the weres and the vampires.

There was only one thread that bound them together now, and that was me. As a friend of the pack to both Alcide and Calvin's groups, they had sworn to come to my aid, should I ever need it. I had never intended to call in that favor, but Eric had done it for me. It must have been difficult for him to do, admitting he needed help from anyone outside the vampire community, and it only made me that much more sure of my feelings for him. He had put me first above his own pride and ego, and words can't describe just how deep an act of selflessness that was for him.

The shifter minds I had felt surrounding the building were obviously Alcide and Calvin's packs, along with a few lone guns Sam had called. I wasn't able to determine whether or not Quinn was also out there. I found out that even some of the witches (the ones that had been on our side during the Hallow incident) were out there as well, no doubt spurred into action and lead by Amelia and Octavia.

At some point in their planning it was decided Sam would be the one to get me out of the building to safety. He'd call Niall to intervene, if necessary, though the vampires were keen to keep the fae out of it if at all possible. They were concerned about things errupting into another war. I could tell Eric wasn't overly happy about the choice, but agreed it was better that it not be a vampire, in case things dragged out into the daytime hours. Even Eric couldn't deny no one was more trustworthy for the job than Sam. Except himself, of course.

I also discovered Russell's reasons for getting involved. Apparently he had his own grudges against Felipe de Castro, that he didn't go into, and did not like the idea of him on Mississippi's back doorstep. True he was fond of me, but I knew better than to think he'd risk his own political position just to help Eric's bonded. It seems Victor had agreed to Russell becoming the official new King of Louisiana, but leaving him mostly in charge of the state. There was simply no realistic way to put him on the throne now that both Eric and Edgington would be so directly involved in taking Felipe down. I couldn't quite tell how Victor felt about that, but something about his demeanor was nagging at the back of my mind, and I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was.

The final plan was to wait until the party was winding down, in hopes some of those loyal to Felipe would already have left. Despite the impressive number of troops Eric had rounded up, there were still a lot of tough vampires they'd have to get through if they were all still present, not to mention how they would cover it all up afterward. This plan, however, had one big problem, which Victor wasted no time in pointing out.

"We're talking still hours from now, people. Felipe's already got half his staff hunting for Sookie, he's going to _know_ something is going on if she doesn't turn back up soon, if he doesn't already."

Eric rose from his chair, walking silently across the room, clearly deep in thought. I could feel his nervousness and... resignation over Victor's statement. He was absolutely right. Eric knew it, I knew it, and so did everyone else in the room. Here they all were, ready to fight for me... ready to _die_ for me, if necessary... how could I abandon them now?

I stepped forward, taking a deep breath and forcing my voice into a steady tone, "I'm going back."

I saw Eric's shoulders fall, and he knew in that moment the only way to stop me would be by force. He turned to meet my eyes, his gaze imploring me to let him come up with another way, but I stood firm.

"What kind of person would I be if I just let all of you risk your lives while I high-tail it in the other direction?"

"Sookie..." Eric tried to cut me off.

"No, Eric. There's no other way. I know you want to keep me safe... I know you all do, but I simply cannot stand by and increase that risk when there's something I can do about it. Most of you have been quite content to make decisions for me in the past. Well, not this time. Besides..." I said, grinning at Sam, "I wouldn't be crazy Sookie Stackhouse if I didn't go charging in without a thought about how intelligent my actions were."

Sam gave me a soft, but sad smile. I looked around the room, silently thanking every one of them with my eyes. Pam was positively beaming at me, probably thinking her little lecture the other day had inspired my new show of courage. Alcide and Calvin were looking proud and ready to charge in like warriors. Bill looked like he was going to be sick.

Finally my gaze locked with Eric's. The pain and fear I could see behind his eyes was so intense it almost made me think twice.

_I can't lose her now... not when I'm finally beginning to understand... and to allow myself to feel all these things I never thought I was capable of..._

I blinked, realizing I was hearing Eric's thoughts. It wasn't the first time, but it was incredibly rare... and had never happened with a vampire other than him. I stepped over to his side, slipping my arms around his waist and pressing myself fully into his embrace. After a moment of hesitation, he wrapped his arms around me.

"I'll be okay..." I whispered.

Eric looked over to Bubba as he continued to hold me, "You stick to her like glue, you understand me? Don't let her out of your sights."

"Yes Sir, Mr. Eric. I'm real good at watching out for Miss Sookie," he announced proudly.

I smiled over to him, "Yes you are, Bubba." I swept my gaze around the rest of the room, taking into my heart and prayers every single one of them, "I'm one lucky girl."

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: I apologize for the length of this author's note, but I feel it very necessary to impart a warning before you begin to read this chapter. Many of you have asked why this story was rated 'M' and the following scene is one of the reasons (though I promise a more palatable reason for it by the end). Like some of you have expressed, I too have felt that it is time for Sookie to grow a bit, and that it's needed to prevent the character from stagnating. She has been through enough at this point in the series that she's going to have to start making some tough choices, but with a character like Sookie, I feel a fairly major catalyst is needed for that change to occur. I'm sorry if some of you find this scene too tough to take, or if it turns you off to my story, and I wrestled a long time with whether or not to include it as I'd originally planned. However, in the end I decided it was necessary, and well in keeping with the rest of the story as I see it unfolding. I've done my best to prevent it from becoming too graphic, but still intense. If you are uncomfortable with violence of a sexual nature, please stop reading now.

I promise to update quickly so as not to keep you all reeling after this tough chapter. As always, reviews are very much appreciated, and I thank all of you so much for inspiring me to keep going.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or stories from The Southern Vampire series. I can only hope that Ms. Harris does not mind me taking them out to play with.

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Ten minutes later I found myself being escorted back to the ball by Victor. We had decided Victor would say he found me ill in the bathroom. I was counting on Kelly having told Felipe about my earlier incident, and that it would lend some credence to the notion I wasn't feeling well. I couldn't see Bubba, but I knew he was lurking in the shadows somewhere nearby. Bubba always had a knack for stealth.

Just as we were nearing the double doors I had escaped through earlier, Victor put both hands on my shoulders, turning me to face him.

"I'll keep an eye on you as best I can, Sookie, but please understand that I will only intervene if your life is in immediate danger," he said without a hint of apology, as if he already knew things were about to get... unpleasant.

He paused a moment, and then spoke seemingly to the air, "And that goes for you, too. I know Eric told you to watch her, but don't go jumping the gun..." I realized he was talking to Bubba.

Victor's gaze settled back to me, "Ready?"

I took a deep breath, trying to get myself fired up to deal with the inevitable confrontation, "Ready."

He nodded and spun me back around, keeping both hands on my shoulders to give the appearance of control, and steered me through the crowd. It took only moments for Felipe to spot us, and the phrase 'if looks could kill' took on an entirely new meaning for me. Driven by pure instinct alone, I found myself trying to turn and run the other direction, but Victor's hands held firm on my shoulders, and Felipe closed the remaining distance between us.

"Put her in my suite," he said to Victor in a low, terrifying voice, "and don't let her out of your sights till I get there."

Wait a second... this wasn't part of the plan. What about being royal arm candy? I'd expected a scolding and then to be ushered around, shown off to the throng. Victor's grip tightened on my shoulders a bit, as if he was anticipating me trying to bolt. He nodded to de Castro, and was quickly pushing me up the stairs and out into the hallway. I turned my head with a furtive glance to see if Bubba was following us, and watched in horror as he was suddenly being mobbed by adoring fans of his earlier performance. I could swear I saw one of them give a nod to Victor.

"Victor... you can't do this..." I pleaded once we were out of earshot.

"Eric should have thought before keeping you away so long," he replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

I began to struggle harder against the vise grip Victor had on my shoulders, the reality of what was happening crashing down on me and wiping away all traces of my former bravery. "You swore you'd protect me..." I gasped through the tears now spilling down my cheeks.

"From immediate danger," he retorted, "and I don't exactly see anyone charging at you with a weapon."

We had arrived at Felipe's room, and he was shoving me inside and onto a couch as he continued, "Did you think this was going to be... _fun_, Sookie? That this was some... happily ever after fairytale where Prince Eric would just swoop in to save you before you received so much as a paper cut?"

His voice was turning increasingly into a growl as he hovered over me. "It's exactly that kind of thinking that got you into this situation. If you hadn't decided to play the tough heroine that night, Castro would be long dead, and you'd be kicking back, sipping champagne at Fangtasia," he spat.

"It's not my fault!" I cried, "If either of you had _bothered_ to tell me, I never would have gotten involved!"

Any chance I had of pleading my case further was then abruptly silenced. Victor had grabbed me by the throat, not hard enough to constrict my airway, but enough to put the fear of God into me. I froze.

"Not so tough now, are you little girl?" he said menacingly. "Well, you better get tough real quick, because this is nothing compared to what Felipe is about to unleash on you."

I was too terrified to scream.

Victor released my neck without another word, and went to stand by the front door. I stayed there quiet... trembling... trying to cling to my last threads of sanity. I hugged my knees up to my chest, closing my eyes, and began to try and brace myself for what was to come. My mind began to race through all the possibilities of how Felipe might punish me, each one worse than the last. I didn't get the feeling my sick excuse was going to work anymore, though I was certainly now in a state well beyond just a sour stomach.

_This is no fairytale_.Victor's words began to sink in as each agonizing minute passed by. Despite the numerous moments of fright throughout the evening, I realized then that I never truly thought it would turn out any way other than Eric saving me from the Big Bad Wolf. I had even looked on the events in room 315 like some kind of bizarre version of The Lord of the Rings, and those present were my 'fellowship'. Pam was right... I am naïve.

As my mind swam with thoughts I became vaguely aware the door had opened. There was a short exchange between Felipe and Victor that I couldn't hear, and then Victor was gone. I was becoming numb, almost as if I were somehow leaving my body, or shutting off the part of me that was alive. I looked up slowly as Felipe walked toward me.

"I am extremely... disappointed, Sookie." It was the first time he'd addressed me by my first name, and he accented 'disappointed' in such a way to make clear it was far more than that. I simply nodded.

He quirked at me, "You have nothing to say?"

"Only that I never wanted to be here with you in the first place," I said flatly, though I was shocked at my own words, almost like someone else was speaking for me.

Felipe looked mildly shocked at my boldness, as well. "Any other mortal woman would be honored to be at my side," he commented as if that were common knowledge.

"I am not most women," I replied in much the same tone.

He had rounded behind me on the couch, and I felt his icy, hard fingers sliding over my shoulders, "Which is exactly why you belong at my side. You are a gift for Kings."

I closed my eyes, taking a slow, deep breath. A strange calm seemed to have taken over my body, but nothing like I felt when Eric was near. I felt detached... separated from what was happening. The fingers of one of Felipe's hands had begun brushing up and down my neck, and his other hand... was running down my chest.

"I belong to Eric," I stated simply and with pure conviction.

His touch grew tense, and I could feel the anger that began to radiate from him. The hand at my chest quickly grasped the necklace that was visible proof of my statement, tearing it from my neck. I didn't even flinch as it flew across the room.

And then his hand was in my hair, gripping, yanking me from the couch with a sharp jerk. He forced my face to his, staring me down, baring his fangs.

"Before this night is through I will see the Viking's head chopped clean off, and you will be on your knees at my feet, begging to be mine," he hissed.

I schooled my face, the picture of calm defiance, "You can try to _break me_ all you want, you disgusting, cowardly excuse for a vampire, but I will NEVER be yours."

And in a flash I was flying through the air, crashing into the wall with bone-crushing force, and sliding in a heap to the floor. Felipe was on me again in a second, lifting me and shoving my face back into the wall so hard I thought my neck might break from the force of his forearm.

"You just had to do this the hard way," he spat at my ear so close that his fang grazed my skin, and I felt a trickle of blood begin to drip onto my shoulder. I didn't bother to fight, knowing it would only make the stabs of pain running through my body that much worse, and it wouldn't do any good.

His tongue lapped at the blood pooling on my skin, and I shut my eyes tight when I heard the sickening moan that rose from his throat. The bloodlust was upon him now, and I knew that my situation was about to go from bad to worse.

"Now I understand why the Viking wanted to hang onto you so badly," he growled, "I will enjoy dining from you every night when I rise... perhaps I shall keep you shackled on your knees at the foot of my bed, ready for me like a morning cup of coffee."

I tried to take my mind anywhere but here, trying to will my brain into thoughts other than Felipe's hand that had snaked underneath my dress, his fingers roughly plunging into my panties and then splitting me open. I got furious with the tears in my eyes that wanted to be shed and closed my eyes even tighter against them.

"You will come to crave being defiled by your King and Maker, and will beg me every night to fuck you blind."

His fingers showed no mercy, tearing into me violently, and I thought I was probably bleeding from the force. Then his fangs sunk viciously into the spot he had been licking on my shoulder, and he began to drink, giving no thought to how roughly he sucked the blood from my body.

The room started to grow dark... I felt myself slipping toward unconsciousness... or perhaps death. I was becoming physically numb, which was really a blessing in some ways. I thought for sure he'd have his pants down and be inside me any moment, but by some small miracle, he didn't. He just finished drinking from me, licking the puncture marks, and let me flop to the floor, his fingers ripping out of me in the process.

I was only half aware of anything by this point, drifting in and out, everything around me sounding muffled. For a moment my eyes focused across the gleaming marble floor, and I caught the glint of Eric's necklace. I wanted to crawl over to retrieve it, but my body wouldn't cooperate.

"Take her out to the stage," I heard Felipe say as the door opened. "Everyone will witness me complete her transformation... including the Viking. After that... stake him."

A few moments later I felt myself being gently scooped into Victor's arms, and I laid limply cradled against him. He looked down at me, an unspoken apology behind his eyes.

"This will all be over soon, Sookie," he whispered soothingly, and began carrying me toward the door.

"You were right," I croaked faintly. "This isn't a fairytale."

And then the darkness took me.

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Words are not enough for me to express my thanks for all the words of encouragement after the last chapter. I am so grateful that you are all still on board with me! I worked fast and furious to get this chapter out to you, and will try to have another by tonight. The quotes at the beginning are all from book 4, Dead to the World. And now, as one reviewer so aptly put it... let's get ready to ruuuuuuuuumble!!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or stories from The Southern Vampire series. I can only hope that Ms. Harris does not mind me taking them out to play with.

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There's a strange thing that happens when one is somewhere between consciousness and death...

_ "You took me in off the road and kept me safe. You're ready to fight for me. I can tell this about you. I can't believe my luck."_

Floating on the edge of a knife... somewhere between madness and peace...

_ "...I would bring you to my side. I will share everything I have with you. Every vampire who owes me fealty will honor you."_

You either give in, letting yourself be swept away...

_ "We could go back to your house. I can stay with you always. We can know each other's bodies in every way, night after night. I could love you."_

... or you find a reason to fight.

"The time table has to be pushed up... no, there's no more time... Pam... listen to me... she's... not well..."

I vaguely became aware of Victor's voice. He was still holding me, though we seemed... paused somewhere.

"Get everyone in position... tell the shifter to get close by so he can grab her... and Pam... keep Eric away as long as you possibly can... because the second he sees her... all hell is gonna break loose."

I remembered the strange calm that had come over me during Felipe's... punishment, and realized that was probably the only reason Eric hadn't stormed the door... maybe he didn't know... the emotions he would have felt from me through the bond... had hidden the truth of what was happening.

I heard the flip of a cell phone closing and strained to open my eyes.

"Well, well... still kicking, I see," Victor said softly, shifting me somewhat over his shoulder as he tucked his phone back into his pocket.

That's when I became aware of the searing pain radiating through my body. Mentally assessing my injuries I felt like I might have some broken ribs, possibly an ankle, and the persistent stabbing in my stomach couldn't have been good. I wasn't sure how much blood had been taken from me, but it must have been a fair amount because I felt at least as weak as the time Bill fed from me in the trunk. There was also the unbearable burning sensation down lower.

"Sookie, I wish I could help you to heal, but I need my full strength..." Victor replied to my groans.

Then his head snapped up, as if he'd heard something.

"Time to go..." he said, and I felt us moving again, floating down some stairs, I thought. I realized it must be Felipe calling him with that vampire telepathy mojo thing. I really needed to learn how to do that.

I saw the chandelier pass overhead as I still lie prone in Victor's arms. I became aware of the muffled sounds of a crowd all around me as we drew up to the stage. Victor gave me a tiny squeeze, I thought maybe trying to encourage me, but all it did was hurt like hell. Then I was promptly being dropped in a heap to the floor, staring at Felipe de Castro's feet. His shoes were scuffed, and for some reason I found that downright hysterical (yeah... definitely major blood loss).

Felipe's voice echoed through the room over the microphone, and I clutched my head as it began to throb.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, observe the last great asset from Sophie-Anne's Kingdom, the famed telepath you've all heard so much about. I shall now claim her, as is my right, and give to all of my faithful subjects the gift of watching this girl's making."

Felipe was kneeling down beside me, grabbing me by the neck, and a smattering of applause ran through the crowd. I closed my eyes, knowing the end was near, and drew in what I thought might be my final breath.

A piercing, animalistic, completely inhuman battle cry rang out. Objects tore through the air, whizzing above my head too fast for me to see, and three of the killing machine vamps dropped, instantly beginning to turn to dust. It was then that Victor's words to Pam rang true... all hell broke loose.

Felipe instantly dropped me, and I fell prone onto my back, unable to do anything other than watch events unfold. The first thing I saw was my Viking, springing in a super-human leap from the staircase landing toward the stage. He had changed out of his tux, clad all in black; a long-sleeved tee, leather pants, and combat boots. His beautiful blond locks were held back from his face by two, small braids. Around his waist was that delicious Viking belt, and clutched in his hand was a very, very big sword. I became giddy as a thought flashed through my mind for the latest Hollywood blockbuster: Braveheart meets Underworld meets Conan... I could just see Eric walking the red carpet, tons of girls screaming for him... (hey, major blood loss here, cut me some slack).

I felt the entire stage floor jolt as Eric landed and didn't miss a beat, rising into a fighting stance, fangs bared and his blue eyes on fire with excitement and bloodlust. The rest of Felipe's bodyguards had moved in front of him, so I couldn't quite see what was happening, and Castro was quickly leaning back down to grab me.

Before he could get a hand on me, a series of events happened in such rapid succession that my human (and half conscious) eyes could barely keep up with them.

I heard not one, but two terrifying growls behind my head, and Felipe's eyes went wide as he immediately went into a defensive posture.

The underbellies of two large animals whooshed over me as they lept toward de Castro, causing him to jump backwards into the drum set, landing with a loud crash.

Just as I was realizing it was a magnificent lion and a huge, bengal tiger barricading me from Felipe, I watched the heads of the four remaining bodyguards fly through the air in rapid succession, and turned my head to prevent the sprays of blood from getting in my eyes.

This gave me my first glimpse of the battle raging through the entire ballroom. There was blood and body parts, vampires and shifters, flying in all directions. I blinked, thinking my vision was going fuzzy again because some of them seemed to be sparkling, lit up like Christmas trees. When my vision didn't clear I realized this must be the doing of the witches, helping our side to know friend from foe, much as they had done when I needed help to find the innocent ones that had been caught in Hallow's web.

The sparkling helped me easily catch sight of Pam, who was whirling and twirling like some psychotic ninja ballerina, a stake in each hand. I watched her drop two vamps with ease, striking successively with her stakes, and then latch onto a third with her teeth. She tore a massive chunk from his neck, and then let out a cry of sheer ecstasy and rage, blood pouring down her chin.

I glimpsed Russell, who was also tearing down enemies right and left, armed with a sword and having much the same look that Pam did.

The wolves and panthers were putting a good dent in as well, though I did see several, unmoving, on the ground.

Then I saw Bill. He was trying to fight and claw his way through the crowd to get to me. He managed to at least incapacitate a couple of vampires that got in his way, but Bill was still fairly young in vampire terms, and I could tell he was struggling a lot more than Pam and Russell. He had a vicious looking cut on his forehead, which was pouring blood down his pale face.

Just as he had tossed another vampire aside, looking more sluggish by the moment, he'd been confronted with another. He grabbed Bill by the throat and was lifting him up off the ground, and I tried to scream at Victor, who I saw fighting nearby.

Before I could see the outcome, my attention was snapped back to the situation right in front of me by another loud crashing sound.

Felipe had grabbed one of the symbol stands from the drum kit and was using it like a weapon. Eric's sword had come swinging down toward him and was stopped by the metal pole, grasped at both ends by Felipe as a shield.

Sam (the lion, of course) had backed up, crouching over me, shielding my prone body with his own.

Quinn (obviously the tiger) was snarling at Felipe, and in one, graceful leap, latched onto the cymbal pole with his teeth and pulled.

That one moment of distraction was all Eric needed. His sword swung wide, cutting through the air in a motion too fast for me to see, and off came Felipe de Castro's head. It landed right next to me with a thud, his cold (finally) dead eyes staring into mine for a few, horrifying seconds before they began to turn to ash.

Just then I heard a blood curdling scream that sounded all too much like Pam, my suspicions instantly confirmed as I felt terror gripping Eric through the bond.

"Get her out of here!" he yelled to Sam, (I presume anyway, since I couldn't see with the lion still crouched so low over me) and then I felt the pounding of his feet on the floor as he lept into the battle still raging on the floor below.

Sam moved off me, instantly replaced by Quinn, and rolled onto the floor. I saw the familiar haze of the change around him, and within a few moments, he was human (and naked) again. After a minute to regain his bearing, I felt him scooping me up from beneath the tiger, and I allowed myself to revel in the heat of his body. I hadn't realized till now just how cold I had become.

With as much speed as he could manage, Sam was rushing out toward the doors, cradling me into his body. Quinn followed us every step of the way, knocking a vampire, who had moved into the doorway to intercede us, to the ground.

"Just hold on, Sookie," Sam pleaded with me.

I tried with every last ounce of reserve energy I had to stay awake, but the severity of my injuries and blood loss was finally winning the battle over my will. The last thing I remember was Sam loading me into his truck, and the squeal of tires as we sped away. Right before unconsciousness consumed me, I let the silent prayer run through my mind... begging God or whoever was listening to let my friends... and my love... survive.

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: I apologize that this is a short one, but I wanted to keep my promise to get another update out tonight, and ease some suffering over the fates of Pam, Bill and crew. The next chapter will be a long one, and something I think everyone has been waiting for. So, please forgive me if it takes a bit longer, but know your patience will be rewarded!

As always, my humble gratitude to all of you for the words of encouragement and for keeping me on my toes and working hard!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or stories from The Southern Vampire series. I can only hope that Ms. Harris does not mind me taking them out to play with.

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The first thing I felt was a warm hand gently stroking my hair. I didn't want to open my eyes, though I gradually became aware that it was daylight. Maybe it had all been just a bad dream...

"Sookie..." I heard Sam's soft voice, and murmured a bit, the only response I was yet ready to give.

"You gave us quite the scare," he said, and I felt his lips gently brush my forehead.

I slowly blinked my eyes open, squinting at the sunlight that was pouring in. Sam quickly flicked the blinds closed, and I was better able to focus on my surroundings. I was in a hospital, yet again... it hadn't been a dream. I shifted agonizingly onto my back, my body feeling like it had gone through a car wash without the car.

"Sookie, don't try to move too much, you're pretty banged up," Sam said as he tried to still my movement. My right leg felt heavy, and I realized it was in a cast. I fought the urge to thank Sam for stating the obvious, catching his eyes with a question I was almost afraid to ask.

"Eric...?" I whispered.

Sam reached forward to brush the hair from my eyes, "He's fine, Sookie. He's gone to ground with Pam..." he hesitated a moment. "She lost part of her arm in the fight."

I winced, knowing the pain she was going to go through to grow back the missing limb, and I recalled her scream.

"Eric's been coming to check on you every night, I'm sure he will again this evening after the sun goes down," Sam continued.

"Every night? How long have I been out?"

"Nearly four days," he answered. "You lost a lot of blood, your body needed the time to heal."

I pushed hard at the thoughts of how that blood loss had occurred to keep them at bay. There were still too many questions I needed answers to.

"Bill?" I asked nervously, recalling my last memories of seeing him.

Sam sighed a bit, "He's in pretty bad shape, but he'll recover. Octavia and I buried him under his house to give him the safety and time to heal. She put up some wards and is checking on him regularly."

I allowed myself to relax a bit, having now confirmed that two more of my closest friends were alright. Before I could start asking about others, Sam was already answering.

"Alcide lost four from his pack... he made it through with only minor injuries," he paused again, and I sensed this was the end of the somewhat good news part to the story.

"Calvin Norris didn't make it, but he put up a hell of a fight. I understand he took down three vampires on his own, no small feat for a werepanther. Two others from the Hotshot pack were lost as well."

I felt the tears welling up in my eyes, but Sam wasn't finished.

"Tray Dawson is just down the hall... he's in a coma. The doctors aren't sure if he'll make it or not. Amelia hasn't left his side except to come check on you."

"Oh, God, Sam..." I croaked through my tears.

He tenderly caressed my cheek, "Shh, Sookie. Their deaths were honorable... I know it's hard for you to understand, but there is no greater honor or wish for a pack member than to die in defense of one of their own. As a friend of the pack, that includes you."

I tried to take comfort in Sam's words, but I thought it would be a long time, if ever, before my guilt stopped eating at me. I could tell by the look on Sam's face it still wasn't over, "Tell me the rest."

He nodded wearily, "Russell lost a few of his crew, as did Eric. I believe the count was five from Fangtasia, though I'm not sure of their names..." he took a deep breath then. "And... we haven't been able to find Quinn."

I gasped, my hand flying up to my mouth.

"After he saw us out to my truck, he turned back for the hotel. That's the last I saw him. Eric remembers him returning to the battle, but no one has heard from him, nor could they locate him afterward."

I buried my face in my hands, no longer able to hold back the torrent of tears. Sam reached his arms around me, drawing me in to his embrace, allowing me to release the flood of emotion that had been trapped inside since the moment I arrived at the Bossier hotel. I cried for what seemed like hours, but was in reality probably no more than fifteen minutes.

I wept for my fallen friends... I wept for Quinn and Pam and Bill... I wept for the friends Alcide had lost, and the Hotshot panthers... for Calvin and for Tray... I wept for them all.

The only person I would not cry for, was myself. I had survived, and they had bled and died so that I could. It didn't matter what I had endured to get here, it was nothing by comparison. I would not belittle their sacrifice for one moment by thinking I deserved any tears or sympathy.

"Jason has been here a few times... he wants to see you, if and when you're ready," Sam whispered as he continued to hold me.

I nodded quietly, "I will, just... not yet."

Just then a nurse came in, bustling and far too cheerful for my mood. "Ohhhh, well look who's awake! How ya feelin', sug?" she bubbled.

Sam released me from his arms, helping me lay back gently onto the pillow.

"I've been better," I muttered.

"Aww, well, a few more days and you'll be feelin' right as rain!" she said as she swapped out my IV bag.

She checked a couple of monitors, and then headed back toward the door, "Now, Mr. Merlotte, don't you get her too riled up, she needs her rest." Then turned to me with a wink on her way out the door, "That man has barely left your side since you got here. You are one lucky girl, sug."

There were a few moments of awkward silence, and Sam was turning beet red.

"I... she's right. I should let you get some sleep," he stammered.

"Sam..." I whispered, squeezing his hand.

He silenced me from embarrassing him any further with a tender kiss, and then smiled into my eyes, "I told you, can't lose my best waitress."

My heart ached as I watched him leave the room, and I hoped he didn't come to resent me someday because I couldn't love him the way he loved me. He had given me so much... he was my best friend. If someone made a list of all the reasons Sam was perfect for me, I wouldn't have been able to argue. He could give me the life I'd always dreamed of having, and would love me and cherish me always.

But I had learned a lot in the last few days. Those little girl dreams, the ones of white picket fences and children and family vacations, they were just that... the wishes of a child who only wanted to be 'normal'. Well, the reality is that I am anything but normal... and I'm starting to believe that isn't so terrible.

The reason I had wanted all those things came mostly from my need to belong. Having always felt like the freak outsider, all I craved was a place to fit in... somewhere to call my own. I thought it was my 'disability' that was preventing all that, but perhaps I was just looking in the wrong places. My 'gift', as Bill always called it and I was beginning to believe, had led me to something so much more than I ever could have dreamed...

I continued letting all these thoughts roll through my mind, and in more than just fleeting ways. There was a question looming at the end of them... one that was almost knocking on my brain, waiting for me to recognize its presence... if I could just sit with these thoughts...

But sleep pulled me under before I could give voice to the nagging question buried deep in my mind.

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Well, I had expected this chapter to take longer, but I suspect Eric was somehow channeling himself into me, as I found it just flying from my fingers. I'd like to suggest you throw on some music for this chapter, whatever type touches your soul and hits that special place in your heart. I had "The Storm" by Lifehouse playing as I wrote it, if you want the specific soundtrack inspiration.

I hope you all find this chapter as rewarding as it was for me when writing it.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or stories from The Southern Vampire series. I can only hope that Ms. Harris does not mind me taking them out to play with.

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There is only so much shock someone can take before it will eventually begin to consume them. While we may swallow it down in our waking hours, willing our souls to be still even as the deep ache in the pit of your stomach threatens to tear you in two, there will always come a point where you will break down. We can spend our whole lives longing for some nameless thing, something we believe will make us whole. The trouble is that you risk drowning so deep into a fantasy you don't even understand, that you will miss the tangible. Perfection is an illusion, and fairy tales have no place in real life except on the pages of a child's storybook, or the flicker of the silver screen. Those images are false, some ideal we try to cling to, easing our minds when the wretchedness of others threatens to tear down the world around you.

My own distorted ideas of what life should be had been violently ripped apart for the first time as a child, by my great uncle. He had claimed my innocence in ways I would not fully comprehend until much later in life. It's easy to find a crutch, something to blame your behavior and actions on, and allow you to ignore deeper truths. My scapegoat was more readily available than most people's probably are, as it pounded through my brain day and night every moment of my life, never allowing me a second of rest from sinking into the issues of others, or fighting to stay out of them.

Never, that is, until a vampire first walked into my life. Suddenly all the perfectly valid excuses I'd ever had for pushing people away, for running the other direction, and keeping myself locked behind an emotional door that no one was allowed to penetrate... were gone. I was left grasping at every wrong they committed against me, whether real or perceived, to keep my world... and my excuses... in tact. I would accept no less than perfection from these magnificent creatures, because they had already brought me so much closer to the edge of being sated than I had ever thought possible. I was being forced to look at my life, and my crutch, in ways I was so completely unprepared for... and when I couldn't force them into my neat and tidy notions of what life should be, I did what I always do best... I ran.

But tonight, my mind was not going to let me hide any longer. I was being betrayed in my sleep, the nightmares of Felipe as real as when they happened. I had come full circle, my illusions torn apart for the second time. Human or vampire, it didn't matter... evil is always evil... and perfection does not exist. The faces of those I loved, and the ones that were lost, assaulted my dreams and would not let go. At the end of the tunnel of my mind's eye I stared back into myself, a soundless demand from deep inside to let go...

I felt the IV being gently slipped from my arm... the monitor patches seemed to fall away from my skin... rising on a cloud and floating... a soft breeze of fresh air brushing over me... the shattered images of my nightmares being washed away in a wave of golden colors as I was taking flight...

And I opened my eyes to find my salvation.

He cradled me so tenderly to his body, not speaking a word, his golden tresses blowing with the wind of our flight. The moonlight brushed across his pale skin, enhancing the glow that was always there. In spite of his magnificence, and the magic that poured from him, he was still just a man... as fallible and flawed as anyone else... but for me, he was the perfection I had been reaching for.

Even as he brought us to a soft landing, I could not take my gaze from his beautiful face, entranced by his soft glow. There was no jostle as he opened and maneuvered us through a door and down some stairs. All I could want for in that moment was for those blue eyes to meet mine, but he was focused straight ahead, intent with purpose.

Without removing me from his embrace, he settled us on the softest mattress I have ever felt, propping my back against his chest. The room was completely dark, heightening the rest of my senses, and I could detect the faint smell of sandalwood hanging in the air. Time seemed to slow down, like moving through a waking dream, and I felt the cool skin of his bitten wrist meeting my lips.

I instinctively wrapped both hands to either side, running my tongue softly across the wound he had opened, sending a small shiver through his body. The fingers of his other hand ran gently through my hair as I began to drink, taking the essence of his magic into my body, allowing it to heal me. He moaned softly, his forehead coming to rest on my shoulder as he clutched me to him like a lifeline. I understood that the act of being able to heal me was, in some way, healing himself.

Some instinct deep inside compelled me tilt my head from his, and as if he were hearing the same voice, his kiss pierced silently against my flesh.

The bond between us rushed open, flushed with warmth, and there was no more distinction between where one ended and the other began...

I felt his suffering over watching his child go through the excruciating experience of her arm slowly regrowing... and he felt my guilt over the death of so many friends...

I cried for him over the death of his beloved Queen, which still tormented and haunted his conscience... and he raged with fury when the reality of how Felipe had violated me struck his mind...

I was overcome with his sorrow over all the time we had wasted when he could not remember, and how precious little of my mortal life remained from his perspective... and he sank into the depths of the longing and ache I always felt somewhere inside when he was near...

We whirled and spun and reeled with the intensity of so much guilt... so much anger... so much pain...

And we experienced it all within a matter of moments, our bodies seemingly frozen in time, the barriers between the physical and the intangible torn away. We were being tossed in the vortex... and then... it was gone.

A peace like I had never known washed over us, blanketing us in warmth and safety. It was our gift to each other, created from something beyond our understanding. Just as he now licked our tiny wounds closed, the scars, both physical and mental, were finding their way to the healing power generated through our bond.

We stayed still for some time, allowing the magic that seemed to sparkle through the air all around us to settle. His embrace never faltered, keeping me clutched against his chest, feeling the rise and fall of my breathing. I became almost hypnotized by the low rumble that seemed to be vibrating gently through him.

When I felt I was getting close to sleep, he finally began to shift behind me, gently resting me against the pillow. He rose and trailed his fingers down my body until he reached the cast, cracking it apart in one swift motion. There was no trace of pain as he massaged my skin, soothing away the itch that was left behind.

Then I was being scooped back up into his arms and carried into the next room. He touched something on the wall, and only the barest of dimmer light came on, casting a warm glow no brighter than moonlight. I felt myself being settled on a tiled ledge, and heard a rush of water as he turned the knobs of the large tub next to me, checking to make sure the temperature was just right.

His hands caressed softly through my hair for a few moments and then ran down the outside of my arms, sending chills through me. When he reached my wrists he gently held them, raising my arms up and over my head, pausing to prompt me to keep them there while his hands slid back down my sides. It wasn't until that moment I realized I wasn't in a hospital gown, marveling that he had managed to dress me in my favorite flannel pajamas without waking me. He grasped the bottom of my shirt, his thumbs brushing the sides of my breasts as he slipped it over my head, every movement slow and deliberate as if he were etching each moment into his memory.

He lifted me with ease beneath my arms so that I was then standing on the ledge, putting me level with his eyes, but his gaze still had not met mine. It was almost as if he were afraid of what he might find there.

"Eric... look at me," I breathed, remembering a time he had said the same.

I reached forward to cup my palm to his cheek as his eyes raised to mine, feeling my breath taken away when I was met with the glistening, sapphire blue. His gaze was a mix of tenderness and strength that was so beautiful it made me ache inside. My hands twisted into the bottom of his shirt, watching his muscles flex as he raised his arms for me to remove it. The soft glow of the dimmers cast the perfect highlight and shadow across every chiseled curve of my warrior. I found myself desperately wrapping my arms around his neck, clinging to him like a life preserver in a storm. His arms encircled me, holding me protectively to his body, my silent guardian.

As he lifted me once more I barely felt my pajama bottoms sliding off, and I was being lowered into the warmth of the water, every muscle in my worn and tired body being relaxed. He sat on the ledge behind me, and I felt the gentle spray of the hand held shower over my head. His fingers began to massage my scalp, working a frothy shampoo, scented like lavender through my hair. I closed my eyes, lost in the soothing motion, hypnotized by the feel of every tender movement. I was drifting on a sea of contentment as he cleansed away the last remnants of our ordeal, ministering to my body as if I were the most precious and delicate thing he had ever touched.

I allowed him to care for me, placing myself completely in his hands. I knew he needed to do it as much as I needed to let him. I'd spent my life, and the course of our relationship, fighting for control, believing I would lose my sense of self if I gave into him. But now, in this moment of complete surrender, I understood it wasn't submission of my will that he craved, but of my heart.

He took his time toweling me dry, running the soft terry cloth delicately over every curve of my body. With a comb he gently worked through my hair, making sure never to tear or pull, stroking through every lock with great care. When he finished he stood behind me, fluffing his fingers through my hair until it was dry enough I wouldn't catch a chill, and then his hands came to rest softly on my shoulders.

I slid my hands up to cover his where they lay, beckoning his arms around me as I tilted my head back against his stomach. He held me that way for a few moments, lost in the gentle waves that ebbed and flowed through our bond. I came to realize he was breathing. They were just shallow, almost trembling breaths that didn't seem purposeful, but a subconscious response to all that was passing between us. I turned my head, brushing my lips like a feather across the cool skin of his abdomen, and he swept me slowly up into his arms, carrying me back to the bed.

Lying me gently on my back, he hovered over me, his fingers resting at the button of his jeans, but not before finding the permission he sought in my eyes. I melted as the length of his body covered mine, his back arched slightly as he rested his weight on his elbows. He swept his golden hair to one side and it softly brushed across my cheek. Even in the darkness, his eyes shone, holding me with a gaze that brought tears to my own.

Slowly his head leaned forward, and those tears found their release as my eyes lilted closed from the tender caress of his lips on mine. It was the kind of kiss you could only dream of, one that spoke more in an instant than thousands of words could ever say... the kind that clutches at your heart and makes you feel so alive you become convinced you were born in that moment. It deepens and explores like flame seeking oxygen to keep your soul from extinguishing.

His lower lip trembled for a moment against mine as he took a ragged breath, his hair spilling forward around my face. Our eyes locked and he looked absolutely overcome with the power flowing between us. And then, for the first time that night, my Viking found his voice...

"I love you, Sookie."

... and before I could respond, he was consuming me.

His lips captured mine, hungry with need. My fingertips spilled across his back, caressing across the ripples of his muscles. His hands cupped my face, devouring me with his kiss. My knees bent at his sides, bringing the weight of his pelvis down against my rising heat, and causing his lips to leave mine with an involuntary growl.

I clung desperately to him, every fingertip pressing into the flesh of his back punctuating the desire that was raging through me and through him, and pouring between us over and over through the bond. Shifting all his upper body weight to one elbow, his free hand was sliding down my body as his lips wrapped my nipple into the warmth of his mouth. I tangled my fingers into his hair, clutching him deeper to my breast while my head began to spin with the rapidness of my breathing.

With agonizing slowness his finger massaged down into my folds... hovering... teasing... the weight of his body preventing me from thrusting my hips up to catch the touch I was so desperate for. I was throbbing with unbearable need... gasping for breath... my head thrashing from side to side as uncontrolled moans turning to screams escaped my throat...

I was in his thrall, my very existence seeming dependent upon him... my submission had finally come, my entire being willingly giving itself to him... my perfect, beautiful vampire.

"Please..." I gasped between moans, barely remembering how to speak.

And then his fingertip was dipping inside, just enough to capture some of the moisture that was pooling from my need... sliding back up... swirling around my nub, and finally massaging into it...

My body was wracked with spasms, arching severely beneath him as I was jolted over and over by waves of ecstasy. I shook violently, unable to contain the almost inhuman screams that came tearing from the pit of my stomach. His fangs pierced into my breast and I was drowning in the dichotomy of simultaneous passion and torture, wanting to crawl out of my very skin to get closer to him.

The crashing waves of climax did not let up, only intensifying, coming more and more rapidly, tearing any shreds of sanity left in my mind. He slid up my body and found me, entering with a slow, deep thrust until he was buried completely inside me. Capturing my thrashing head in his hands, he brought my eyes to his, locking onto me with a piercing gaze.

He took me to the edge so many times they all ran together into one, never ending wave of pure ecstasy. He owned my body... my mind... my soul... with a power and grace that could never be matched. I needed his release even more than my own and found the strength to force the words from my lips...

"Eric... I am yours."

... and he was swept away with me.

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: I was positively overwhelmed by the response to the previous chapter, and I am so glad that most of you found it rewarding. This chapter is a short one (don't kill me!) but some needed filler. There's still a lot more to come for Dead to Rights, and I hope you will all continue on the roller coaster ride with me!

Thank you once again for all the reviews, they mean the world to me. I'd also like to send a special thank you to Eric's Minions, headed up by the fabulous TES, on the TB Wiki for championing my story and providing spectacular (and often hysterical) inspiration. In particular, thank you to Rachal for keeping my spirits up and giving me endless support.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or stories from The Southern Vampire series. I can only hope that Ms. Harris does not mind me taking them out to play with.

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I woke the next day in my own bed. I had no memory of how I got there, but reasoned Eric must have brought me sometime after I fell asleep in his arms. I caught the scent of lavender on my pillow and smiled, stretching with a contented yawn. Closing my eyes again, I allowed my mind to revel in the blissful afterglow of the night before, and felt the warmth of the sun streaming through my window. I ran my fingertips lightly across my lips, remembering the feel of his, and I couldn't imagine a day they would ever feel anything less than Earth-shaking.

I glanced over to the clock on my nightstand (11:43 am) and noticed the not-so-unexpected note.

_Dear One,_

_I didn't want you waking alone in unfamiliar surroundings, and as much as it pains me to leave your side, I must return to Pam. I'm uncertain how the ramifications of New Year's will play out over the coming days, but know that I will not be away from you a moment longer than is necessary. There is still much we need to discuss._

_~ E_

I'm not sure what I had been expecting, but I sighed a bit, absently turning the paper through my fingers. Certainly Eric wouldn't have turned into some verbose, sonnet writing poet because of one magical night, but I guess the romantic in me had hoped for a little something more. Then again, he had said more to me last night, with almost no words, than I could have dreamed.

However, there was a lot to ponder in the few, carefully written lines. The word 'ramifications' was particularly gnawing at me. Eric could've simply meant there would be lots of busy work and meetings involved with yet another new power structure for Louisiana. I idly wondered if there was some sort of vampire 'transition team' that dealt with these things, like in a corporate takeover.

But, it could also be that he meant ramifications of a ... darker nature. Eric had killed one of the most powerful Kings in North America, surely a tribunal wouldn't think saving his human bonded was an acceptable reason. Wouldn't having Russell Edgington look like the leader of the attack be enough, though? I didn't see how there could be much difference between that and what de Castro did. Of course, Felipe wasn't assisted by someone betraying Sophie-Anne.

I felt like my mind was playing tennis with all this back and forth reasoning. There was still so much I didn't know or understand about vampires and their politics, not that I really wanted to. Eric must have a plan though, he always has a plan. I tried not to think about how his last plan had been blown to smithereens by yours truly.

I continued my internal debate while going about the business of getting ready, and couldn't help the twinge of concern over the last part. What discussions did Eric think we still needed to have? To my mind last night pretty much said it all. Pragmatic Eric seemed to be back in full swing, not that I'd really thought that would change. In some ways it was one of his more endearing qualities. It was infuriating at times, true, but there were also times that it helped me to see reason and not go off half-cocked... well, at least not too much.

I wandered into the kitchen to grab my usual cup of coffee and was jolted back into reality. Amelia was sitting hunched over at the kitchen table, head in her hands, an untouched cup of tea in front of her. I felt instantly guilty for having indulged so much in my own afterglow, almost forgetting just how bad things still were.

I quickly made certain my shields were locked in place, not wanting to intrude on her private thoughts. Resisting the urge to just reach out and engulf Amelia in a hug, I poured myself some coffee and moved into the chair beside her. When she finally looked up at me I was shocked to see the smile on her face, even though tears were streaming down her cheeks.

"He's awake, Sookie... he's awake," her voice quavered.

"Oh, Amelia!" I squealed and we were instantly flinging our arms around each other, both laughing through our tears as we toppled onto the floor.

"Sookie... Sookie, you're choking me," she gasped with a giggle. I had been practically crushing her with my hug, forgetting my increased strength side effect of Eric's blood. We only laughed more, basking in the relief that at least one more friend was going to be okay.

After a few more minutes of hysterics, our laughter was finally subsiding to occasional giggle fits, and Amelia turned on her side, propping her head on her elbow.

"Look at you... it's like nothing ever happened," she remarked.

"Well, vampires are occasionally good for something," I snorted through another giggle.

She arched an eyebrow at me, and I knew she hadn't been referring solely to my physical condition, but I wasn't anywhere near ready to share anything about last night with her. Amelia had certainly become one of my best friends, but what had passed between Eric and I just seemed too... sacred to give it words. There were things about it I still didn't fully understand. I had been through a nightmarish experience only a few days ago, but somehow I wasn't feeling anything other than serenity and joy. I had no idea how long it would last, but I thought I'd earned the right to enjoy it while it did, so I resolved not to question it too much... yet.

Amelia then gasped in mock astonishment, as if something had just occurred to her, "Sookie! Did you do something... unladylike with a certain dead Viking?!"

That sent us into another fifteen minutes of non-stop laughter.

~*~*~

Amelia and I spent the rest of the afternoon together. We visited Tray Dawson in the hospital, and I was once again relieved that he would be alright. He had some recovery time ahead of him according to the doctor, but I was sure his Were nature would cut that time down quite a bit. I think he was already irritated with being stuck in a hospital bed, and by the time we left, had definitely had enough of me thanking him over and over again.

We went by Wal-Mart and picked up a stack of the latest home decorating and fashion magazines for Pam, even finding a book of 'Dear Abby's Greatest'. I wasn't sure when we'd get to see her, but figured she could use the distractions. We also stopped by the local ASPCA and made donations in the names of Alcide's fallen pack members.

After stopping by the local florist and picking out two pretty, but understated floral wreaths, we made our way out to Hotshot. It was even more quiet than usual, an air of sorrow hanging over the small group of homes. Amelia said the magic at the crossroads was even more intense than usual, but she didn't elaborate. We laid the wreaths on Calvin's doorstep, but decided against knocking. Neither of us knew anything about werepanther customs concerning death, but if they were anything like the Weres, it wasn't something we were too keen to witness. I figured Crystal or someone would call me if my presence was appropriate.

Despite the overall sadness of our errands, I managed to keep my mood relatively high, again not really understanding how that was possible. I knew there had been magic at work last night, and the effects through the bond were far more intense than I'd previously experienced, but I couldn't stop feeling like there was more to it.

We were both a bit weary by the end of the afternoon, and had returned home to flop on the couch and watch some Buffy. I was laughing to myself at the irony of the Angel-Buffy-Spike triangle when Octavia suddenly came in, dropping a six-pack of True Blood in my lap. I looked up at her questioningly.

"Since you're here I thought perhaps you could go handle the situation next door... I expect Bill will be rising tonight," she said.

I immediately understood the implications, and realized that had she just trotted over there expecting some bottles of synthetic blood to do the trick, I could've had one dead house mate on my hands. I glanced out the window to gauge the time, and the sun was already beginning to set. I fought off my irritation that Octavia hadn't thought to come to me sooner.

Bill would be rising after healing from traumatic injuries... and he would be hungry... very hungry. I had flashes of the incident in the trunk, but quickly (and far too easily) pushed them aside. I needed to think fast. After what Bill had done for me, I wasn't necessarily opposed to providing him a meal, but I was concerned about his ability to control himself. I did have a fair amount of Eric's blood coursing through my body, but would it be enough to hold Bill off?

There simply wasn't any time to get one of the fangbangers from Fangtasia to come out, and I couldn't let a starving vampire, even if it was Bill, go tearing off through Bon Temps. I sighed and grabbed the True Blood, asked Octavia where exactly Bill was buried, and then headed for the door. Before I'd taken two steps, I was struck with the idea to run back into the house and grab my silver cross from my jewelry box... just in case.

I said a little prayer, and began the trek through the cemetery to Bill's place.

TBC


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: I woke up this morning with one of those 'uh-oh' sore throats that makes me think a cold is coming on. Hopefully it won't slow me down too much, but please forgive me if I don't manage to get another update out at my usual pace.

As always, reviews are welcomed and encouraged, they continue to make my day!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or stories from The Southern Vampire series. I can only hope that Ms. Harris does not mind me taking them out to play with.

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As I jogged through the cemetery a plan was already formulating in my brain. I'd had enough experience with hungry vampires at this point to know what I was about to be dealing with, and I had every intention of being prepared for it. The sun was almost down, and I knew I had maybe twenty minutes at most. I hoped that Bill wouldn't rise immediately, given the healing process he'd been going through, but I wasn't going to take any chances. I found myself nearly beaming at the idea Eric would be proud of my quick thinking.

I dodged the roots and ground obstacles with surprising ease and was soon at the front door of the Compton home. I already had Bill's key out (he had told me to keep it despite our breakup) and ran quickly up the stairs, grabbing a blanket from the chest at the foot of the bed. I also snagged some clothes from his closet, knowing he'd be coming out of the ground in nothing but his skin. I may have lingered over that thought slightly longer than I should have.

As I dashed back out the front door the sun was just dipping below the horizon, and I sped up into a full run, trying to locate the spot Octavia had described. They had buried him sort of half under the back porch, and I wished I'd thought to ask if it was his head or feet underneath. I figured (and was counting on) them having been thoughtful enough to put his lower half beneath the house so that he wouldn't smack his head on the way out.

I removed the cross from its chain and set to work on my plan. I wrapped the chain around my right shoe, near the ball of my foot, and clipped it to the laces so it would stay secure. Then I took the necktie I had grabbed with Bill's clothes and covered the chain with it, tying it tight. I popped the top on a bottle of the True Blood, holding it in one hand, the cross in the other, and took a deep breath. I made sure to plant my left foot as best I could, standing poised at the ready, and waited.

Every second felt like an hour as I continually scanned the ground for any sign of movement. I could feel my heart racing, adrenaline pumping through me, amping me up into fight or flight mode. I wondered if this was sort of how vampires felt when they were waiting for a good fight, and had to admit it was exhilarating.

I began to hear a sort of crunching sound, and the dirt at my feet began to shift. I was so hyped up I felt like I might jump out of my skin, and watched intently for the first sign of Bill. Then there was a hand reaching out of the ground, the fingers a bit clawed. I could tell from the position that he was facing the way I had hoped. I managed to keep myself poised, waiting for the perfect moment.

Both his arms were out now and bracing against the edges of his grave to push up and through.

_Wait for it, Sookie... wait for it... NOW!_

The moment Bill's head came out of the ground I drove my foot down onto his forehead, pushing with all my might. I didn't flinch at the inhuman, piercing howls he made. The silver wouldn't burn him, because of the necktie, but I was counting on the combination of the chain and my enhanced strength being able to hold him. I thrust my hand holding the silver cross into his field of vision, close enough to register, but not touching his skin.

"Okay now William Compton, you listen up!" I said forcefully. I really doubted he'd actually comprehend me, but it made me feel better about the rude awakening he was getting. "You open your mouth, I'm gonna pour this blood in. Once you have enough of this synthetic to calm your butt down, you'll get a real meal."

His eyes were absolutely wild, fangs fully extended, and I was starting to struggle a bit to keep my balance. He definitely wasn't hearing me, but his mouth was open from his continuous growls, and I figured that was good enough. I started to slosh the contents of the bottle toward his mouth, and at first it just ended up all over his face, but he'd gotten enough of a taste that his mind registered to hold still. He guzzled down the entire bottle as quickly as I could pour it into his mouth. I was worried I should have had another one open and at the ready.

I tossed the empty bottle aside and, after a few moments, felt comfortable enough to test how much edge had been taken off his frenzied state. I moved the cross a bit further away from his face and felt him tense up a bit, like he was getting ready to jump, so quickly brought the silver back in closer.

"Bill!" I said sharply, snapping my fingers in front of his eyes. More growling.

"Dammit, Bill!" I yelled, and slapped him across the face with all the vampire-blood-enhanced force I could muster.

He blinked, his eyes focusing a bit, and then it was like someone flipped on the light switch in his brain.

"S...Sookie?" he said, still a very decided edge to his voice.

I leaned over enough so that he'd see my face above his, waving, "Yep, that's me... _crazy_ Sookie."

"Wh... what's going on? What're you doing?"

"What am I doing..." I said like I actually had to ponder something. "Well, I'm currently trying to prevent my blood-crazed vampire ex from eating me. How am I doing?"

He stared at me blankly, but I could tell his senses were slowly returning to him.

"If I let you up are you going to behave and drink this nice, bottled blood like a good little vampire?" I really hoped he said yes because the strain of this awkward position was becoming increasingly more difficult.

He grunted a kind of affirmation, and I decided that was good enough. I reached over to the rest of the True Blood with my free hand, sliding it closer to him, making sure he saw it. Then I took a deep breath and leaped backward, getting as much distance between him and I as possible. I felt almost silly keeping the cross shoved in front of me like some religious nut, but that silver was the only thing separating me from a vicious pair of fangs.

Bill wildly clawed his way out from under the porch, and I tried not to get distracted by his glowing white skin. His eyes were piercing into me, and I could tell he was still fighting a very strong urge to attack. I waved the little cross as a reminder, "Don't you make me burn you, Bill Compton!"

He made a little chuffing noise, but turned, scrambling over to the True Blood. He actually sank his fangs into the side of the plastic bottle, guzzling from it like it was someone's neck. I stared, wide-eyed for a few moments until I saw him visibly begin to relax, and me along with him. I slipped the chain off my shoe, stuffing it into my pocket, and then slowly moved to grab the blanket.

He popped the top on the third bottle, and I finally felt safe enough to approach him, gently draping the blanket around his shoulders. As the rest of my adrenaline finally subsided, I sank down to the ground beside him, trembling a bit from what I'd just done. Sometimes I think I really _am_ crazy.

Bill set down his third empty bottle and raised his gaze to look at me. I could see the hunger still there, but he clearly had control over himself again.

"Sookie... you shouldn't have done that," he said, his voice still ragged.

"I know," I responded, "but someone had to. Knowing my luck, you would've ended up at my house trying to drain me or Amelia anyway."

Bill's eyes were still predominantly fixed on my neck, and I lowered my chin in an attempt to dissuade his gaze from my jugular. Of course, this only caused me to catch sight of his arousal. I mentally scolded myself, trying to rationalize that my lower body's response must be coming through the bond... Eric is feeding... must be... yeah, that's it...

This just concerned me more, because thoughts of Eric feeding on someone else _should_ be sending me on an emotional tirade. This refusal of my emotions to fluctuate to anything negative is getting out of hand. Did Amelia slip Prozac in my coffee when I wasn't looking? I didn't have time to ponder any further on this now, considering I still had a vampire on the edge to deal with. I tucked it away, deciding that I'd have to give into my need to analyze it later.

"Sookie...?" Bill groaned, not needing to give words to his question.

I had already been mulling over my answer to this inevitability before I even left the house. Bill needed blood. Real blood. I was hoping I'd be able to get him calm enough to get him to a more appropriate 'restaurant', but it was clear from the look of struggle on his face and tensed muscles, that this wasn't the case. The only reason Bill was in this condition was because he fought to save me, surely I owed him at least this much.

"Bill," I said firmly, waiting for him to look me in the eye before continuing, "I'll help you out, _but_ only enough to hold you until we can get you someone better... suited."

He nodded, and I hoped he had enough control to follow my direction, but I shoved my other hand back in my pocket to grab the silver cross, just in case. I started to hold my arm out for him, but paused, adding, "And Bill... this doesn't mean anything. I'm only helping you out... understand?"

Bill growled a bit, and I knew he wasn't going to be able to restrain himself much longer. I turned my head, not wanting to watch and bracing for the sting, and thrust my arm out. He immediately grabbed on with both hands, yanking my wrist toward his anxiously awaiting fangs, and then...

I found myself flat on my back. Bill had shoved my arm away from him so forcefully that it sent me sprawling.

"You _reek_ of him!!" he hissed.

I was already scrambling back up to my feet, in shock at Bill's reaction. I pulled the cross from my pocket, but fumbled it as it caught on a loose string and landed somewhere in the leaves.

"His stench is so strong on you... if I weren't seeing you with my own eyes... I'd swear Eric was standing in front of me..." Bill growled from his crouched position. He was both recoiling and preparing to attack, seemingly torn between the two. The glare in his eyes cast across me like I was a giant piece of silver.

"Bill... he had to heal me... that's all..." I spat, surprisingly offended that a vampire would find me anything less than a five star dinner.

"No... don't lie to me!" he heaved, "Who _are_ you??"

Now I was just dumbfounded and started to wonder if Bill had some kind of vampire brain damage. Regardless, the situation was rapidly deteriorating, and it was time for me to get the heck outta Dodge. Of course, nothing is ever that simple in the life of Sookie Stackhouse, and Bill was springing toward me like a lion pouncing its prey.

As if I were suddenly possessed by the spirit of Buffy herself, I felt myself whirling into a roundhouse kick, my foot striking square into Bill's sternum...

... and he was flying through the air, crashing into the porch with a force that caused it to buckle, splinters spraying out. Bill... was out like a light.

_What... the..._

TBC


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: First, thanks to all of you for the well wishes. I do indeed have a cold, but I'm trying to slog through it. This is the last major chapter of Dead to Rights, though there will probably be two more to finish it out and set up for the sequel (and I promise some good E/S action before the end). Now, I know this chapter may frustrate some readers, but I am setting up an overall story arc for future pieces, so please understand that answers to the inevitable questions this chapter will raise are not going to come quickly. Also, the very end of this chapter is from a different POV, and the identity of the second character has been kept vague on purpose, not caused by my cold medicine induced state (lol).

As always, reviews are welcomed and encouraged, they continue to make my day!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or stories from The Southern Vampire series. I can only hope that Ms. Harris does not mind me taking them out to play with.

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Have you ever had one of those moments where all you can do is stare? When everything around you seems to just stop, and you can't wrap your brain around something that just happened? I call them OSM (_oh, shit_ moments). This... was definitely one of those.

Vampire blood or not, everything I know says that what just happened was impossible. Yet, there was Bill, lying motionless in the collapsed wreckage of his back porch... and _my_ kick had put him there. I stood, staring in stunned silence, replaying the last few moments over and over in my mind.

A split second before Bill sprang toward me I felt a burst of... rage? No... not rage... something even more intense... like an explosion in my mind. Even though I knew Bill had been moving with lightning fast, vampire speed... he looked in slow motion to me, as if the air had turned to molasses. I felt my body reacting, though I couldn't even recall telling it what to do. When my kick landed, I didn't even feel the contact. There seemed to be almost a cushion of... something... between the bottom of my foot and Bill's chest. It felt like the explosion that started in my brain had rushed through me as I spun, bursting out straight at my target.

I was shaking from head to toe, still staring at Bill, when I heard the sound of someone giving a few, slow claps. I realized it was the first sound I had heard since the splintering of the porch. In fact, everything was completely still all around me... like the world had... stopped. I snapped my head up to locate the source of the noise.

"Quite impressive, Sookie," came a familiar voice.

It was the one person who hadn't even entered my mind, or seemingly anyone else's because no mention of his fate had been made, since New Year's Eve. He stepped out from behind a nearby tree, giving a few more amused claps, and then bowed to me.

"Victor..." I hissed, my normal emotional fluctuations seemingly having returned.

He smirked at me, languidly walking toward Bill, "Down, girl."

I narrowed my eyes, growling a bit at his remark, my gaze following his every move. He continued his stroll like he had all the time in the world, examining trees and roots as if they held some special significance. When he finally reached Bill's lifeless (har dee har) body, Victor idly nudged at him with his foot. He seemed amused by the lack of response. For the first time I started to become concerned about Bill's state.

"Is... is he going to be okay?" I asked, having figured out by this point that Victor was a lot more than just some vampire second in command.

He looked up and I felt a chill run through me. His eyes were solid green, no whites or pupils, glimmering like emeralds. "Do you want him to be?" he questioned.

"Well, of course I do!" I spat indignantly.

"Then he will be," Victor shrugged, his gaze casting back down to Bill.

_Well gee thanks, that just explains everything_.

"Are you always so whiny?" Victor asked, flicking his gaze to me.

I blinked. Had he just... heard me?

Victor rose up from the crouched position he had taken while examining Bill, catching my eyes. I felt frozen... locked in place by the intensity of his other-worldly stare. He was slowly coming toward me, gliding along the ground. I knew I should be afraid, but I felt strangely calm.

_Yes, sibyl, your wasteful thoughts grate on my mind like a shrieking lamb during the slaughter._

His 'voice' pierced so forcefully into my mind that I collapsed to my knees, my hands flying up to my ears in a futile attempt to block the sound. My brain felt like it might explode from the pressure, the sound driving through my head like a drill. I was flat on my stomach now, writhing with the increasing intensity of the noise, which had grown from words into a high pitched whine. It grew louder and louder till I thought a sonic boom was about to blow my head apart.

"Enough!!!!" I screeched.

Silence. Blissful, glorious silence.

Victor crouched down beside me, pushing me onto my back. His eyes had returned to normal, and he was regarding me with an unreadable expression. I clutched at my throbbing head, panting with exhaustion.

"Why do you take so long to react, Sookie? Do you have some... masochistic tendencies? That would certainly explain your fascination with the bloodsuckers," Victor mused in a (thankfully) hushed voice.

I wanted to scream at him, but wasn't sure I could even tolerate the sound of my own whisper. My mind was swimming through pain and about a million different questions. I thought about barraging his brain with all my questions strung together, but dismissed that idea, not wanting a repeat performance of my near mind explosion. He was chuckling at me now, and I wanted to smack the smug look off his face.

"Go ahead," he dared in an amused tone.

I glared at him, but realized this was getting me nowhere. Aftershocks of pain were searing the back of my eyes, and all I really wanted to do was take a handful of aspirin and have a nice, long sleep. Seeing as that was unlikely to happen in the next few minutes, I concentrated on my breathing, trying to slow it down enough that I would at least stop tensing up and making the pain worse.

"Ahh... there is a touch of pragmatism in there somewhere," Victor said, searching deep into my eyes like they held some big mystery. Then it seemed he found whatever he was looking for, and made a small noise of disgust. He stood up and began to pace back and forth at my side.

"I don't like this wrinkle, Sookie, it's highly irritating."

_Good_, I thought, having no idea what he was talking about. If it was irritating him even of fraction as much as the stabbing at my brain, it couldn't be entirely bad.

Victor gave an exasperated sigh, and I immediately tensed back up, fearing another attack in response to my thoughts. He crouched back down, putting his hand on my forehead. Before I could jerk away, I felt the pressure in my head beginning to ease. The hand on my forehead began to glow a little, the light seeming to move up his arm. The higher it went, the more my pain subsided, until finally it flew across his chest and shot out his other hand into the ground. The pain was completely gone.

"Wow..." I breathed, probably sounding entirely stupid, but it was all I could manage.

Victor just sighed, resuming his pacing. I was trying to keep my frustration at bay, not wanting to anger him again, but my brain was nearly on overload from the events of the last few minutes. I was filled with so many questions I could barely sift through them. What on Earth was Victor? Clearly he is not a vampire, even Arlene could've figured that out. What had happened inside me that resulted in Bill's current condition? Why did Victor call me Sybil? Did he mean it like that multiple personality character Sally Field played?

That last thought was cut off when I heard Victor begin to roar with laughter. Now I knew how everyone in Bon Temps felt when they were around me. I also realized how easy it was to forget that someone was hearing my thoughts. I felt the urge to start apologizing to the entire town one by one.

"For the love of Amun, enough, Sookie!" Victor sighed and added quickly, "Don't even think that question."

Without realizing it, Victor had given me a clue of where to begin, and now it was my turn to be smug.

"Despite what you seem to think, Victor, I am not entirely uneducated. I do know that Amun was an Egyptian God, thank you very much!" I stated with both pride and some annoyance.

He cocked his head toward me and chuckled, "I seem to recall saying recently that you weren't stupid, Sookie. Irritating as a hungry rakshasa, yes, but not stupid."

Okay, now I was pretty sure he was mixing mythology, but I wasn't about to point that out... oh wait...

Victor laughed, "At least you're catching on." He reached out and ruffled my hair, giving me a pitying look, then strolled over to a nearby tree. He stared up at it, as if pondering its very existence. I resisted the urge to try and read his thoughts, and he was apparently going to voice them anyway.

"I should have killed the Viking the moment that witch's curse set him on the road to your house," Victor said coolly, his gaze not moving from the tree.

I was immediately gripped by fear, and, of course, I couldn't just let that statement go. I pushed up to my feet, taking a hesitant step toward him.

"Victor," I began, trying to keep my voice calm, "I know you seem to revel in being cryptic with me, but you're obviously here for a reason. If you're looking for my... cooperation on something, killing Eric is probably not the best way to go about it."

"Even if it were in your best interests?" he asked, focus still on the tree.

"I think that's up to me to decide, and you've hardly proven yourself trustworthy enough that I'd even listen to your advice," I replied sharply.

He snorted, "I see Brigant wasn't exaggerating about your... headstrong nature."

Okay, he knows Niall. Not entirely surprising. I ventured a guess, "Do you... work for my Great Grandfather?"

Victor laughed, finally turning around to look at me, "No, my little mutt, I don't work for the fairy."

_Mutt? Must be referring to my traces of fairy heritage... I doubt he means my mixed nationality... _

"Child, I'd hardly concern myself over your... minor fae ancestry," he nearly spat the last part, and I scolded myself for letting my thoughts wander yet again.

Something about what he said was curious, though. If not my fairy blood, then what? I found myself suddenly recalling something Eric said to me in Rhodes.

_"You're a mystery... Who was your mother, and who was your father? Oh, I know, you'll say they raised you from a child and died when you were a little girl. I remember you telling me the story. But I don't know if it's exactly true. If it is, when did the fairy blood enter your family tree? Did it come in with one of your grandparents? That's what I'm supposing."_

Well, we'd found the answer to that when Niall contacted Eric... but...

A small smile started to form at the corners of Victor's mouth. His eyes were lighting up a bit. He rocked forward on his feet, his posture seeming to encourage me to keep going with my line of thought.

Niall told me my telepathy wasn't an inherent fairy ability... Claudine had confirmed that. I had attributed it to some flook... most people already thought I was a freak of nature, and I suppose I had just taken that to heart. Eric called me a mystery... Victor called me a mutt... and...

"What's a ... sybil?" I asked tentatively.

Victor was positively beaming, "Finally, an intelligent question."

He sat down on a fallen tree limb, patting the spot next to him. I moved to sit where he'd indicated, feeling like a child being settled in for story time. I noticed Victor somehow looked older... not physically, but something in his eyes. Eric got that look sometimes, where I could almost see the centuries of life and experiences weighing on him. Victor's smile looked almost grandfatherly... a mixture of wisdom, fatigue and... affection. He was becoming more of an enigma by the minute.

"Sookie," he began softly, "There are so many things I wish I could just explain to you. You weren't supposed to be at this point already. That..." he gestured to Bill, "Should not have happened. There's a natural process to things that has been interrupted... sped up in a way that could prove fatal to you... perhaps to us all. I suspect your bond with the Viking has something to do with that," he said, not bothering to hide his distaste, but added, "Though, in the long run, it may prove beneficial."

"You do realize I haven't the foggiest idea what you're talking about?" I interjected, growing tired of all his cryptic mumbo-jumbo. If he had a point, I wished he would just spit it out. I figured the proverbial can of worms had been opened, so he might as well get on with it.

He nodded, "I know you're frustrated, Sookie, but it simply isn't time yet."

Victor stood slowly, his gaze flicking all around with thoughts I couldn't even begin to guess. He almost looked like the vampires do when they're having one of those silent conversations with each other. My frustration was giving way to fatigue, and I was beginning to wish I were anywhere but here, though preferably curled up in Eric's arms. I heard Victor sigh, as if resigning himself to something. He turned, crouching down in front of me and taking my hands in his.

"When the time is right, we'll meet again, Sookie... but, for now..." his eyes began to glow green, "... it's better this way."

I tried to move, but my body was frozen. I tried to scream, but my voice caught in my throat. I tried to brace my mind, but his had taken over. Everything began to get very bright, like when you look at the snow on a sunny day. Victor was still speaking, but I couldn't make out his words. The light was engulfing us... not just us, but everything... so bright... at first I squinted against it, but then was forced to shut my eyes. I felt dizzy... confused... where was I? Then a voice... getting farther and farther away... _forget me, Sookie... forget all this..._

And then, I was swallowed by the light...

"Sookie...?"

"...Huh?" I mumbled, shaken from my reverie. I looked at my arm, half outstretched to Bill, and had the oddest sense of deja vu.

"Are you okay?" he asked, trying to take the edge off his voice.

I felt the need to shake myself, my brain seemed a little foggy for some reason. "Yeah... sorry... I must've spaced out for a minute."

"You've... been through a lot," Bill replied, adding after a moment, "I think I can make it into town..."

It took a minute for me to understand what he meant, but then a wave of relief washed over me. In the last few moments I'd begun to think letting Bill feed on me wasn't such a good idea after all, but ... I didn't really know why. I reached over to grab the clothes I'd gotten from the house and handed them to Bill.

"I'll drive you into town," I said.

He nodded, dressing quickly, and falling into step behind me as we headed for his car. It was closer than going back for mine, and I knew how hard Bill was fighting to stave off his urges. I'd take him into town, he'd glamour someone and get his meal. Everything would be fine. Still, as I started the ignition on Bill's car, I couldn't help giving myself another mental shake. I was feeling inexplicably... disoriented. Oh well, Bill's right... it has been a long week.

~*~*~

Victor watched from his perch behind the tree as Sookie and Bill drove away, shaking his head a bit sadly.

"It had to be done," she commented from behind him.

"I know," he replied, "but I just hope it will be enough."

"Even I didn't foresee this, though perhaps I should have. The last remaining trace of my mortal life... bonded to my child... the Gods clearly have a plan."

Victor nodded, turning to lead her back through the portal, "At least I was able to quell the scent... and her power... for now. It's only a matter of time."

She patted his arm as they prepared to depart, "The Gods know what they are doing, we must trust in their wisdom."

Victor nodded, but in his heart... he had to admit he didn't share her confidence.

TBC

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The Eric quote in this chapter is from book #7, All Together Dead.


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: Ha ha, I just knew you guys weren't gonna listen to my warning last chapter that you'd be left with lots of questions. The only one I'll answer, and only because I realized I may not have made it totally clear, is that Victor in the last chapter appeared, to Sookie, to be the same Victor that was Felipe's second in command. Whether or not he is, I won't say. The answers will come over time, I swear. I love it that you're all so into this journey with me. When I started this I never could've predicted the overwhelming response, and I am positively bowled over and humbled by it. There just aren't enough words to express my thanks to all of you for reading it, and for the endless inspiration to keep going. I promise that as long as there are people who want to read my work, I'll keep writing.

And now that I've rattled on far too much, on with the story! Hope you all enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or stories from The Southern Vampire series. I can only hope that Ms. Harris does not mind me taking them out to play with.

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"I can't believe you've never seen this movie, Pam! Where you been living, underground?" Amelia giggled, flicking a piece of popcorn at Pam's cheek.

It had been a little over two weeks since that fateful New Year's night, and things were beginning to return to a relative state of normalcy. Tray was out of the hospital and recovering well, with plenty of nursing from Amelia. Bill was back to being... well... Bill. I heard a rumor from Holly that he was actually dating someone, though she didn't know who. I wasn't in an hurry to find out anyway. Hey, cut me some slack, do you ever completely get over your first love?

Jason and I had lunch once, and though it wasn't exactly like old times, I had to admit it was nice to have him back in my life. He'd filed for divorce from Crystal, but it was looking like she was intent on making it... difficult. The biggest bone of contention was over custody of their yet to be born child. I hoped once the kid was born that Crystal would come to her senses, and realize it would be better for both parents to be in its life and not at each other's throats.

One dim spot was that there'd still been no word from Quinn. I'd even tried calling Frannie at one point, but got no answer, and no return call from the message I left. Sam tried to assure me Quinn would be fine, that he was too well-known in the shifter community for word not to have gotten around if something bad had happened. While it made sense, I still couldn't help but worry.

Pam was still on the mend, but had come quite a long way. The... amputation had occurred about halfway up her forearm, but had already regrown to about her wrist. 'Not horrible, considering,' she had told me. I got the feeling she was actually proud of her battle scars. When she'd indicated to me on the phone last night that she was ready for company, Amelia and I jumped at the chance to try and take her mind off the pain. We'd planned this girl's night in to be just like a teenage sleepover. Movies, junk food (well, for Amelia and I), and makeovers. We knew Pam would love it.

So here we were, the three of us curled up on Pam's sofa with rollers in our hair, watching John Travolta shake his behind and belt out "Greased Lightning".

"I don't understand, why doesn't he just kill the bad greaser and take his car?" Pam queried.

Amelia and I looked at each other and burst out laughing, tossing more popcorn at Pam. She arched a brow, then snatched the bowl from my hands, and promptly dumped the whole thing over Amelia. Between Amelia's look of shock and Pam's beaming with pride at her revenge attack, I nearly fell off the couch I was laughing so hard. The two of them wrestled around, and eventually Pam ended up sitting on Amelia, grinning with victory while Amelia cried Uncle.

I smiled up at them, reveling in their happiness. "Whoever would of thought my two best girlfriends would be a witch and a vampire?" I laughed.

Amelia beamed at me, and Pam did her little smirk, clearly not sure quite how to respond to such a blatant display of human affection.

There was only one thing that could've made this night better. Eric and I had spoken on the phone every evening for at least a few minutes, but I hadn't actually seen him since that magical night he took me from the hospital. With Pam out of commission, not to mention losing five others from his crew, he was having to split every waking moment between Fangtasia and dealing with Russell's people. I'd offered several times to help out at the bar, but he wouldn't hear of it. I think some part of him was still concerned for my safety, and it would be tough for him to keep an eye on me. Though it irritated me to no end, I'd agreed to stay away for the time being.

Eric had been pretty vague with me about the details of Louisiana's new 'political' situation. What little I did know was that Victor had returned to Nevada to take over there instead of becoming King of Louisiana. I wasn't sure why. Russell and Eric were still negotiating the new power structure here. It seemed Edgington actually wanted Eric to be his acting commander for the state, but Eric wanted no part in that. Things were still unresolved on that front, as far as I knew. I felt like there was a lot more Eric was keeping from me, but I had resolved not to push him about it... for now.

Despite the numerous stresses he was under, he still managed to find at least a few minutes for me, and I was running out of surfaces in the house to display the numerous bouquets of flowers he sent. I knew it was useless to tell him to stop, and I couldn't help but revel in the romance of it. The cards were rarely signed with anything other than his scripted 'E', but it told me he was taking the time to send them himself, instead of having one of his minions put on 'Sookie floral duty'. That meant more to me than all the flowers in the world.

"Earth to Sookie?" Amelia nudged.

"Huh?" I asked, shaking myself from my thoughts.

She huffed at me, "I asked if you wanted another gin and tonic?"

"Oh... um... sure," I replied, trying to hide my forlorn (word of the day) tone.

"I don't know why you don't just go over there, Sookie. It's not like you to actually _listen_ to Eric," Pam scoffed.

Geez, was I that obvious? "Well, I just don't want to add to his stress."

Amelia had come back in, handing me my drink. The famous scene with Sandy showing up at the carnival in her skin tight black outfit had just started, and Amelia's eyes were riveted to the screen. I could hear the gears turning in her mind as she turned to Pam, and they both grinned and nodded at each other.

"Oh, no no no..." I protested.

Then they both turned to me, staring me down with those sly grins.

"Oh, hell..." I muttered, downing my drink.

~*~*~

Two hours later we were pulling into the parking lot at Fangtasia, and I had been turned into Pam and Amelia's personal dress up doll. The black leather corset was so tight I could hardly breathe, and it was pushing my already ample chest up so high that I was afraid I'd spill out of it at any moment. The black fishnet tights itched like crazy under the long, gauzy red skirt that left nothing to the imagination. They had slathered my eyes with smoky shadow and eyeliner, and my lips were painted a deep crimson, slicked with gloss. The look was completed with black stilettos (I was sure I'd break my ankle again within ten steps), a studded, leather captain's cap, and a pair of John Lennon style sunglasses. I looked every bit a fangbanger... and I felt ridiculous.

"This is never gonna work, you guys... Eric will already know I'm here before we even walk in the door," I whined.

"Oh, I already thought of that!" Amelia grinned. "I put a dampening spell on your hat."

I just blinked at her.

"Oh, it won't conceal the bond entirely, I'm not that good, but it should be just enough that he won't be able to detect your proximity," she giggled.

I arched a brow at Pam, more than a bit incredulous. She just shrugged. Despite the pain she was in, Pam had insisted on tagging along for this little stunt. She said it would be too good to miss. In all honesty, that was the biggest reason I'd agreed to this insanity at all. Anything that would help keep Pam's spirits up was a good thing in my book. I just hoped Eric wouldn't ruin it for her by getting angry that we were defying his wishes.

Amelia had to help me out of the car so that I didn't fall and break my neck because of the dang shoes. While she and I waited in line to pay the cover, Pam went ahead inside. She'd tell Eric she needed to get out of the house to alleviate her boredom since Amelia and I had 'passed out from intoxication' at her place.

As Amelia and I entered, I expected Eric's gaze to immediately flick over to me, but he remained seated on his 'throne', Pam perching on a chair next to him. Huh... maybe Amelia's spell was actually working. I suddenly felt very nervous and made tracks straight for the bar, ordering a gin and tonic, heavy on the gin.

"I can't do this," I whispered to Amelia as she moved up to the bar next to me.

"Aw, sure you can, Sook. C'mon, he's gonna love it. Besides, you look hot!" she waggled her eyebrows.

I grumbled, grabbing my drink and pounding it down. I definitely needed some liquid courage. I glanced over at Eric, who was looking decidedly bored, and a bit weary. A couple of fangbangers were kneeling by his feet, practically groveling for his attention. I couldn't help the flash of jealousy that ran through me. He was looking like nothing less than an Adonis, as usual, dressed in black jeans and a half open, black silk button down. His blond tresses were cascading around his shoulders in unkempt perfection.

I took a deep breath, gathering up my confidence as best I could, and gave a nod to Amelia.

"Go get that dead Viking," she grinned at me.

I began to slowly make my way through the crowd, stopping a few times to sway my hips against a few of the people dancing, keeping my eyes on Eric the whole time. He was ignoring the fangbangers with that practiced aloof manner that only made them want him more. His eyes paused on me for a moment as he scanned the crowd, and I thought I saw a flicker of recognition as I was grinding seductively at some guy's back, but then he resumed watching over the throng. Pam winked at me.

I made my way up to the front, doing my best to sway my hips as I walked, praying I wouldn't trip in the heels and land flat on my face. I was feeling more bold by the minute, realizing Eric hadn't caught on to my presence, and I strutted straight between the kneeling fangbangers.

_Who's this slut?_ I heard one of them thinking and had to stifle a giggle. I was staring right at Eric and lifted my leg, resting my foot right onto his throne, next to his thigh. He turned, arching a brow with some amusement at this brazen fangbanger, his cool stare taking me in.

"How about a dance, gorgeous?" I asked, trying to make my voice as husky as I could.

He smirked at me, flashing fang, "How about you remove your foot and I'll reconsider having my associate toss you out of my bar."

I couldn't help but grin that he wasn't going to just jump some nameless fangbanger. I leaned forward toward him, running my tongue along my bottom lip.

"Are you sure that's what you really want?" I breathed near his ear.

"I wouldn't suggest further testing me on this matter," he smirked.

"Well, that's really too bad," I grinned, removing my foot and taking one step backward. I slid the sunglasses off and pulled the hat from my head, shaking my hair loose, "Let me know if you reconsider."

Eric's eyes widened just slightly as recognition, and the swell of the bond, came over him. The fangbangers were practically growling at me by this point, thinking the 'competition' had been successfully squelched. Eric's smirk slowly spread into a grin.

"On second thought," he said, rising from his throne and almost knocking one of the girls over as he stepped between them and toward me. They were gaping, horrified, as Eric walked around me, getting a full view of the 'goods'. Let's just say their thoughts couldn't be repeated in polite company.

I could feel Eric's gaze roaming across my curves, sparks of lust flaring across the bond, and then felt his hands slide onto my hips from behind. "Pretty When You Cry" by VAST was blaring over KDED, and I pressed back against Eric's pelvis, rolling with the seductive beat, his hands rocking my hips into a deeper sway.

He leaned down, whispering into my ear, "I'll have my revenge later, lover."

I grinned, turning around to face him, and slid down and back up his body in rhythm with the music. I locked my eyes onto his and replied, "I'm counting on it."

TBC


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: This is the last chapter of Dead to Rights. I expect I will start the sequel fairly quickly, although I may do a couple of one shots first, depending on what Eric decides (lol). Once again, I am so grateful to all of you for your reviews and words of encouragement. You have made this a truly rewarding experience for me!

Warning: Blatant E/S smut ahead, read at your own risk ;)

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or stories from The Southern Vampire series. I can only hope that Ms. Harris does not mind me taking them out to play with.

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Life isn't a Hollywood script, but every once in awhile you find yourself in one of those moments that sure seem like one. When everything that's said, and every action that's made, seem almost too perfect to be real. For me, those moments seemed to always involve a certain Viking.

The crowd on the dance floor parted to the edges as I slinked my way to the center, beckoning to Eric with a curled finger. The music of Puscifer's "Rev 22:20" had begun, and I dipped low, snaking my body to the downbeat as Eric strode toward me, his eyes blazing. He reached down, grasping my hand, and flung me up from the floor so that my legs straddled the front of his hip. His sapphire blue eyes stayed locked with mine as I slid down his thigh, flicking open another button on his shirt as my feet settled back onto the floor.

All around us I 'heard' a mix of curses and jealousy from the fangbangers, but mostly the fantasies our display was inducing. Maybe it was the liquor, or the searing lust Eric was pouring at me through the bond, but I didn't care. In fact, I was basking in it. With every sultry move I made around Eric, I knew I was adding fuel to his fire, and I was loving every second of it. I was feeling so wild, abandoning my inhibitions to the moment, and ran my hands over his perfect backside as we were grinding pelvises. He leaned down, growling faintly into my ear, and I took the opportunity to run my tongue along his ear.

Oh, but if I thought I could really cause him to lose control, he was about to prove me wrong. With a swift motion, Eric hooked one arm around my waist, and slung me over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. I squealed, kicking my legs, trying to wiggle my way out of his grasp.

He extended his other arm, bowing to the crowd, "I hope you've enjoyed the show, ladies and gentlemen. A round of drinks for all, on the house!"

The place erupted in applause as Eric was hauling me, caveman style, out the back. I caught a glimpse of Pam grinning from ear to ear, and Amelia giving me the 'V for victory' sign. I had a feeling that, before the night was over, it would be Eric declaring victory.

I should have known Eric would have some secret lair beneath the bar, but somehow I was still surprised when he popped open the back of the closet in his office to reveal a dark, steep staircase. Of course, I only saw it once we were already on our way down, considering he still had me slung over his shoulder. I decided to make use of my position and pulled the back of his shirt up, moaning softly as I raked my fingernails up his back.

He growled, "Oh, so that's how you want to play, hmmm?"

"What's the matter?" I teased, "Big, tough Viking can't take it?"

He just snorted, tossing me like a sack of potatoes onto a bed. His hands were pinning my wrists to the mattress before I could move to try and tear off his clothes, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

"Didn't anyone ever teach you not to play with matches, little girl?" he breathed in a husky voice that made me squirm against his grip.

"Okay, okay... I'll be good..." I whimpered, suddenly overcome with my need for him to be inside me right this minute.

He leered down at me, licking a fang, "Oh, no. Someone wanted to play fangbanger... so now someone's going to get fucked like one... only much... more... slowly..." emphasizing the last three words with a press of my pinned wrists.

He may as well have planted his victory flag right then and there, I was done for.

Easily keeping both my limbs grasped in one hand, he was soon straddling me, and flicking open the remaining buttons of his shirt. My eyes roamed over his rippling chest muscles... flawless abs... smooth pale skin, transfixed by his perfectly sculpted body. He switched hands to shake the silk from his arms, and I couldn't stop my reflexive gasps over his God-like beauty.

His lips were at my ear, just brushing across with a goose-pimpling touch, the tip of his tongue dipping to the spot behind my earlobe. I writhed beneath him, my eyes rolling back in my head, breathing shallowing. Losing track of thought, every inch of me crying out for his touch... his lips floating over my skin, down my neck, across my collarbone... _oh god, Eric..._

Inhaling sharply as fang grazes between my breasts, drawing the corset laces open with his teeth... so slow... panting now... taking the time to pull the lace completely through each eyelet. He pauses after each pull to look at me... prolonging my agony... making sure of his control... can't think... growling with need... I bite hard at my lip, hoping the sight of blood trickling down my chin will provoke him into quicker action...

He only tightens his grip on my wrists, ignoring... pulling the corset from me... exposed... whimpering... nipples hard and begging for his touch. He stares... devouring me with his eyes... pressing against my pelvis to remind me what is waiting for me.I glare, wild-eyed, hissing like a cat in heat...

"What's the matter, lover?" he asks coyly, his smirk mocking me.

I buck my hips up toward him, but he's too quick, rising up on his knees. He trails a fingertip across my lower lip, catching the drop of blood that has pooled there... bringing it slowly to his tongue... making sure I watch him lap it into his mouth... the movement suggestive of how I wish he were licking me... my whimpers growing louder and louder...

He flicks his gaze to me, "If there's something you want, ask, don't whine."

I look back up at him, pleading with my eyes and ragged voice, "Please, Eric..."

He regards me with a face like stone, only the lust pouring between us through the bond to reassure me. He grabs onto the gauzy skirt, shredding it from my body, "Please... what?"

I can barely stand it... every nerve ending on fire with need... clit throbbing and slick... having to force out a whisper, "Please, Eric... I need you inside me..."

He presses his palm against my mound... I scream at finally feeling some touch... any touch... his face leans over mine... locking my eyes with his, "I'm sorry... did you say something?"

I growl and hiss and thrash beneath him, hovering at the edge of madness...

"No? Alright then," and he's off me and somewhere across the room before I can blink, leaving my body screaming with the loss of contact.

It is near pitch black in the room, and my meager human eyes can only make out the faint outlines of furnishings. I'm taking tentative steps, feeling around blindly with my feet and hands, near sobbing with need. I stub my toe and curse.

"All you have to do is ask..." his whisper is at my ear and gone again as I whip around to try and grab him, nearly tripping over what feels like a coffee table.

"Damn you, Eric Northman!" I whine.

"Most would say I was damned long ago, lover..." breathed into my ear and gone again.

Insanity was taking hold of my mind... his teasing was provoking a relentless throb between my legs... can't take it anymore... sinking to my knees...

"Eric... I need you to _fuck_ me... right... now!" I screamed like a banshee, so loud it probably reached the crowds upstairs.

_Tick tock... tick tock... _agonizing, torturous seconds of silence...

Strong, cold hands gripping beneath my arms... my back slamming into the wall... panties torn off... my nails digging into the bare flesh of his back... growling in my ear... _oh god yes yes yes, the gracious plenty against me..._ frantic grabbing and pushing and clawing... smashed between him and the wall... driving inside me... _fuck yessssssss_....

Eric slammed mercilessly into me over and over, hitting my spot with every thrust. My legs gripped his waist like a vise, nails tearing into his back, making him drive even deeper into me. His hand slipped between us, deft fingers finding my clit, massaging in the same circular motion his tongue now made at my neck. I threw my head back, not even feeling it whack against the wall, screaming his name over and over as our climax was about to boil over. His fangs found the upper part of my breast, sinking in deep as our bodies were wracked with ecstasy, shuddering around him and inside me, nearly collapsing from the intensity. As I screamed he released his bite, head arching back with a howl, my blood dripping from his fangs and lips. Wave after wave crashed over us, engulfing us, consuming us until we were forced to sink to the floor, still wrapped desperately around each other...

It was at least ten minutes before either one of us could move, trembling with near violent aftershocks. Neither of us spoke... what can you possibly say after such a mind blowing experience? Eventually Eric scooped me up from the floor, carrying me to the bed, spooning his body around me. I had gone from being ravished and owned one moment, to feeling cherished and loved the next. That was the very essence of Eric, the dichotomy of strength and tenderness... ferocity and gentility... and it was why I'd fallen so desperately in love with him, in spite of myself. The more I fought against him, the more he drew me in. Things with Eric were never simple, and despite my protests to the contrary, that was how I liked it. He kept me on my toes, always guessing, but never insecure. He left no room for doubt that I came first, and he'd proven it time and time again.

"Sookie..." he said softly.

"Hmmm?" I murmured, already half drifting into sleep.

I felt him sigh, his forehead coming to rest on my shoulder, a small wave of emotion coming across our bond...

"Eric... what's wrong?" I said, turning toward him, feeling a growing sense of concern. Something was definitely not right... and I was about to be reminded why complex... isn't always a good thing...

His gaze steadied on mine, "Sookie... they've called a tribunal."

_Oh... shit._

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Stay tuned for the sequel to Dead to Rights ... coming soon.


	19. Final Notes

Per requests, this is going up just to notify readers that the sequel, entitled Left For Dead, is now up.

Also be sure you've read the short story, In Between, which is a companion piece to this series.

Both stories can be accessed from my profile.

Thank you, once again, for reading!


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